Lufthansa bids farewell to its last Airbus A340-600 and continues its fleet renewal
- LH419 landed in Frankfurt today (Monday) as the last scheduled commercial flight of this aircraft type
- With the flight from Washington, D.C., the A340-600’s history at Lufthansa ends after 23 accident-free years
- By 2028, 70 percent of Lufthansa’s long-haul fleet will consist of next-generation aircraft
It is the end of an era. With today’s landing of flight LH419 from Washington, D.C., Lufthansa is retiring the Airbus A340-600 after 23 years of commercial operation.
After a flight time of eight hours and five minutes, the aircraft, registered D-AIHW, landed on schedule at Frankfurt Airport with 267 passengers and 15 crew members on board. Numerous spotters and influencers were waiting to greet it, and passengers on board gave a long round of applause. Many of the guests had bought tickets specifically to take part in this special flight. All passengers received a specially produced farewell booklet as a gift.
The captain of the final flight was Francesco Sciortino, Lufthansa Airlines Board Member and Hub Manager Frankfurt, who has himself flown the A340-600 for many years.
“We will never forget this last flight with the A340-600,” said Francesco Sciortino. “I am grateful that this aircraft has safely carried more than 40 million guests across the globe in 23 years. At the same time, we are looking forward to the largest fleet modernization in the company’s history. The A340-600 is leaving, and in its place come aircraft of the latest design: quieter, more efficient and more comfortable. We expect the Airbus A350-1000 and further Boeing 787s very soon, and the Boeing 777-9 next year. We are investing in our premium offering for our guests. We are renewing not only the aircraft but also the products and services on the ground and in the air, for an even more premium experience at Lufthansa.”
Farewell after 23 years
On 25 November 2003, Lufthansa took delivery of its first A340-600, D-AIHB, which was christened “Bremerhaven” in 2004. At 75.30 meters, the A340-600 was the longest passenger aircraft in the world at the time. Its first destinations in the Lufthansa network were Buenos Aires and Santiago de Chile.
Over the following two decades, the A340-600 made history at Lufthansa. Among other things, it was used for climate research as part of the CARIBIC project and took the German national football team to its successful World Cup campaign in Brazil. In March 2022, it was the first aircraft to return to Washington, D.C., after the pandemic-related grounding.
In total, Lufthansa operated 24 aircraft of this type during this period.
The largest fleet renewal in the company’s history
The retirement of the A340-600 is part of the largest fleet modernization in Lufthansa’s history.
In addition to the A340-600, the Airbus A340-300, the Airbus A330-200 and the Boeing 747-400 will also be retired by 2027. They will be replaced by state-of-the-art Airbus A350-1000 and Boeing 777-9 aircraft. According to the manufacturers, these aircraft are quieter, consume 30 percent less kerosene and produce correspondingly lower emissions. Eighteen Boeing 787-9 aircraft are already in service, and a further 11 aircraft of this type will be delivered by 2027.
By 2028, 70 percent of Lufthansa's long-haul fleet is expected to consist of next-generation aircraft, an important lever for greater efficiency and comfort. Fewer aircraft types also mean less complexity in maintenance, planning and training, and therefore a more economically sound basis for the future.