End of an era: Lufthansa prepares to retire its final Airbus A340-600s

Lufthansa is preparing to withdraw its last four Airbus A340-600s from passenger service, with the final scheduled flight of the four-engined long-haul aircraft due to arrive in Frankfurt on 19 October.

Flight LH419 from Washington Dulles is scheduled to depart on 18 October and land in Frankfurt the following morning.

The final transatlantic crossing will bring to an end Lufthansa’s A340-600 operations, after more than two decades. 

The aircraft are currently deployed on services between Frankfurt and Washington and New York JFK.

Lufthansa finally retires Airbus A340-600s after years of trying

The retirement marks the conclusion of a drawn-out period when Lufthansa had hoped to retire the fuel-thirsty aircraft but then repeatedly postponed the move amid delays to the delivery of replacement aircraft.

The airline initially announced plans to permanently decommission seven A340-600s in April 2020 as part of its response to the Covid pandemic. 

It subsequently parked its entire fleet of 17 aircraft at Teruel in Spain, with the stated intention of keeping them out of scheduled service for at least 12 to 18 months.

However, the recovery in demand prompted Lufthansa to begin returning its A340-600s to service in 2021, and the carrier subsequently reactivated additional aircraft to support its long-haul schedule.

More recently, delays affecting deliveries of Boeing 787-9s and the 777X have contributed to the extension of the A340-600’s useful life. 

Lufthansa had intended to retire its remaining A340-600s by the end of 2025 but postponed the withdrawal into 2026.

The airline confirmed in April that its final four A340-600s would leave the fleet in October, as part of an accelerated programme to reduce costs and modernise its operations. 

In April, in the wake of the US-Iran conflict, Lufthansa announced that its long-haul capacity would be reduced by a “total of six intercontinental aircraft at the end of the summer flight schedule. To this end, the last four remaining Airbus A340-600s will leave the fleet in October, thus bringing the era of this aircraft type at Lufthansa to a definitive end”.

Additionally, Lufthansa announced that two Boeing 747-400s will be grounded from October onwards for the coming winter. “The final farewell to this aircraft type is planned for next year,” the carrier said. 

The move comes amid higher fuel prices and additional financial pressures, with Lufthansa stating that older, less fuel-efficient aircraft in its fleet would be retired first.

The airline noted that “particularly inefficient aircraft are being removed from flight operations early”, which was having a “disproportionate savings effect on fuel costs”. 

German flag carrier to keep some A340s flying – for now

The retirement will not mark the immediate end of the A340 at Lufthansa. 

The airline will continue operating the smaller A340-300, with the group’s fleet plans suggesting this variant will be withdrawn in 2027.

Lufthansa introduced the A340-600 in 2003. 

The aircraft, which was developed as a long-range, four-engined widebody, became a major part of the carrier’s intercontinental fleet, including services from its Frankfurt hub.

Its retirement is part of a planned simplification of Lufthansa Group’s long-haul fleet, with older four-engined aircraft being replaced by newer twin-engined types, including the Airbus A350 and Boeing 787. 

The group expects to reduce the number of aircraft types it operates, lowering complexity and costs associated with maintenance, crew training and operations.

New life for A340-600s with lessors

The withdrawal of the A340-600s from Lufthansa’s fleet does not mean they will never fly again. German charter and ACMI operator USC Aero is in the process of acquiring five former Lufthansa A340-600s.

The move, first reported by Aviation Week, will see two of the aircraft returned to service while three will be dismantled to support USC Aero’s growing inventory of spare parts.

“Two will continue to operate, three will be parted out,” USC Managing Director Klaus Dieter Martin said.