FRANKFURT — Lufthansa Group will retire the last four Airbus A340-600s in its fleet in October and ground two Boeing 747-400s for the coming winter as sharply higher fuel costs force the airline group to accelerate capacity and fleet cuts.
The German airline group confirmed the move as part of a broader cost-reduction package tied to higher kerosene prices and additional burdens from labor disputes. Lufthansa said fuel prices have more than doubled compared with the period before the Iran war, making older, less efficient aircraft more exposed to current market conditions.
A340-600 exit, 747-400 wind-down
The four remaining Airbus A340-600s will leave Lufthansa’s fleet at the end of the summer schedule, bringing the type’s era at the airline to a definitive close. The larger distinction is on the Boeing side: Lufthansa is not retiring all remaining 747-400s immediately, but will ground two of them from October for the winter season. The final farewell to the 747-400 type is planned for next year.
The decision marks another step in Lufthansa’s long-running shift away from older four-engine aircraft toward more efficient twin-engine widebodies. While the Airbus A340-600 and Boeing 747-400 remain important aircraft for enthusiasts, they are increasingly difficult to justify when fuel prices rise and airlines can deploy newer Airbus A350 and Boeing 787 aircraft with lower operating costs.
Lufthansa said the package is designed to produce a disproportionate savings effect on fuel costs by removing particularly inefficient aircraft from the operation early. The group said roughly 80% of its passenger airline fuel requirement is hedged, but the remaining 20% still has to be purchased at elevated market prices. The new cuts are expected to reduce that most expensive portion of fuel exposure by about 10%.
CityLine capacity removed
The widebody cuts are part of a larger three-step capacity reduction. Lufthansa will also permanently remove the 27 operational aircraft of Lufthansa CityLine from the flight program, citing losses at the regional subsidiary and the high operating costs of its Canadair CRJ fleet.
Reuters reported that the CityLine aircraft are being withdrawn amid rising jet fuel prices and costs tied to industrial action. The outlet also noted Lufthansa’s ongoing dispute with pilots’ union Vereinigung Cockpit over pension issues.
During the 2026/2027 winter schedule, Lufthansa plans an additional reduction in short- and medium-haul capacity equivalent to five aircraft at the core Lufthansa brand. The group also plans to accelerate the allocation of nine additional Airbus A350-900s to Discover Airlines.
Why it matters
This is less a nostalgic fleet story than a hard cost story. The A340-600 exit and 747-400 drawdown show how quickly rising fuel costs can compress the remaining life of older widebody aircraft, even at a carrier with deep long-haul history and a unique attachment to quadjets.
For Lufthansa, the move supports a broader simplification strategy: fewer inefficient subfleets, tighter capacity discipline, and more flying shifted toward lower-cost or more efficient platforms within the group. For passengers, the practical effect may be reduced capacity on selected long-haul and European routes, though Lufthansa has not yet detailed every route-level impact.
The A340-600’s departure closes one chapter of Lufthansa’s four-engine long-haul fleet. The 747-400 now enters its final phase, leaving the newer 747-8 as the carrier’s remaining passenger jumbo flagship beyond next year.
Featured image: Fabrizio Spicluglia/Airways
