Lufthansa to Bring Back Complete A340-600 Fleet

DALLAS — Lufthansa (LH) has decided that its complete Airbus A340-600 fleet should return to service for the summer 2023 schedule.

At the moment of writing, the only five units operating for Germany's largest airline are based in Munich (MUC). The second group of five retrieved airframes would be destined to fly routes originating from Frankfurt (FRA), bringing the total fleet back into service for a total of 10 Airbus A340-600s.

A spokesperson for the airline stated in an interview with AeroTelegraph, "Due to the strong traffic development, we need more aircraft so that routes from Frankfurt are served with the A340-600 again... This is how you react to the growing premium demand, not only in the business but also in the private travel sector."

The route network affected by the decision is yet to be confirmed, but it is believed that flights to Bogota (BOG), Hong Kong (HKG), or New York (JFK) would eventually be operated by the type.

The reasoning behind this opinion is that LH would eventually program the A340 into routes with the highest First Class demand. The Airbus A340-600 is equipped with eight First Class seats.

Of the five units expected to resume fleet operations, two are still stored in Teruel (TEV), another two are grounded in Frankfurt and Munich, respectively, and the fifth aircraft is undergoing maintenance checks at the Lufthansa Technik facilities in Manila (MNL).

As part of the "Allegris" seat generation, new First Class seats will be fitted into the next aircraft to be delivered by LH, such as the A350, Boeing 787, and 777X. Render: Lufthansa

Lufthansa's Newest Seat Product

In October 2022, the airline presented a new series of First and Business Class concepts to be introduced in long-haul aircraft during 2023 as part of the carrier's "Allegris" seat generation.

While this brand new Business Class product is currently available on all Boeing 787 Dreamliners and some Airbus A350s, it is unclear whether the First Class product will be available on these two aircraft. What is sure, however, is that the Airbus A380, Boeing 747-8, and the upcoming Boeing 777-9X will soon feature the new Lufthansa interior in a full three-class configuration.

Additionally, LH plans on introducing a new concept called "Sleeper's Row 2.0" in Economy Class, which would enable passengers to get quality rest on the back of the cabin on long-haul flights, thanks to a clever system of leg rests that can transform a row of three economy class seats into a bed.

Carsten Spohr, Chairman of Lufthansa, said, "We want to set new, unprecedented standards for our guests. The largest investment in premium products in our company's history underpins our claim to continue to be the leading Western premium airline in the future."

Check out our story about LH's newest seat product to learn more about the interior design concept.

https://airwaysmag.com/lufthansa-allegris-premium/

Featured image: Yifei Yu/Airways