In the competitive world of aviation, airlines are constantly after newer and more fuel-efficient aircraft to keep their costs low. This is primarily why the first of the aircraft types to be grounded and retired by airlines around the world during the COVID-19 pandemic happened to be quadjets, because utilizing aircraft with four engines guzzling fuel was not economical and inefficient compared to newer aircraft on the market.

During this period, one of the quadjets that saw grounding and retirement was the Airbus A340 aircraft type, along with the likes of the larger Airbus A380s and Boeing 747s. While many of these aircraft remain grounded, stored, or retired, the German carrier Lufthansa, against the odds, returned its fleet of quadjets to commercial service, including the A340s, which remain active with the airline today.

So, Why Is Lufthansa Still Flying The A340s?

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Going back to the period of the pandemic, yes, these aircraft were stored and inactive, while Lufthansa maintained the limited operations it could, utilizing its cargo fleet and more efficient passenger aircraft such as the Airbus A350 and Airbus A320neo aircraft types. However, when the markets started recovering, and Lufthansa was looking to rebuild its capacity, the industry’s supply chain was still facing issues, resulting in significant aircraft delivery delays from both Airbus and Boeing.

Thus, like many other airlines facing delivery delays, Lufthansa decided to re-activate its fleet of older aircraft that were placed in storage, which, of course, included the Airbus A340. While the cost of operating an A340 is higher than the A350 or the Boeing 787, the booming rebound the passenger market was experiencing at the time made it viable for the airline to utilize these quadjets, at least on a temporary basis. However, prolonged delivery delays have resulted in the airline still operating the A340s today, and for the foreseeable future, as the airline wishes to maintain capacity to cater to the growing passenger demands.

Delivery delays faced by the airline include the Boeing 777X, which is now only expected to enter commercial service in 2027 or 2028, along with previous production limitations placed on Boeing as a measure to improve its aircraft quality control, which meant delays in the 787 production and delivery. Furthermore, while both Airbus and Boeing are facing delivery issues due to supply chain issues resulting in delays of the A350s and the 787s, Lufthansa’s Allegris product’s certification delays also resulted in late 787 deliveries.

How Many A340s Are in Lufthansa’s Fleet?

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Latest fleet data from ch-aviation indicates that the carrier currently holds 28 A340 family aircraft within its fleet, of which 17 are operational, and the remaining 11 are currently marked inactive. This includes 15 Airbus A340-300 aircraft, of which 12 are active, and 13 Airbus A340-600 aircraft, of which only five remain active. The carrier has previously operated a further 34 aircraft belonging to these two variants, and prior to that, Lufthansa had also operated the Airbus A340-200 and was the launch customer for the type.

As per Lufthansa’s fleet page, the airline has its aircraft configured in the following manner:

It is worth noting that it is not just Lufthansa as an airline, but other members of the wider Lufthansa Group, such as SWISS and Edelweiss, that also operate a small sub-fleet of four A340s each.

Related

This Airline Just Retired The 1st Of 5 Airbus A340s

The quadjet operated its final revenue-earning flights earlier this month before being sent to storage yesterday.

390 Flights Scheduled For The -300s This Month

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Latest scheduling data from Cirium indicates that Lufthansa is set to operate a total of 390 A340-300 flights to and from its hub in Frankfurt Airport (FRA), to 15 destinations across four continents during the month of January. The most common destinations to see the aircraft type this month will be Chennai (MAA), India, with 28 round-trips, along with Cape Town (CPT), South Africa, and Vancouver (YVR), Canada, each seeing 27 round-trips.

However, six destinations see the type less than 10 times this month. These include Denver, seeing nine flights, Chicago and Detroit, each scheduled with eight round-trips, followed by New York (JFK), scheduled for six flights, Dallas Fort Worth, set to see three flights, and Dubai, scheduled to see two services. The full list of destinations is as follows:

Of these destinations, Chicago and New York are also scheduled to see the larger A340-600s, but with considerably higher frequency.

Only 149 Flights For The -600s

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Considering the number of Airbus A340-600s in the fleet is considerably smaller than that of the A340-300s, Lufthansa has only scheduled the type to operate 149 flights this month, across four destinations. However, this enables the airline to operate the type to these limited destinations with higher frequency. As mentioned above, the US destinations of Chicago and New York (JFK) will also see the larger A340-600s this month. ORD is scheduled for 21 round-trips, while JFK will see a daily service.

Overall, ORD is scheduled for a total of 29 round-trip services with the A340 family, while JFK is scheduled to see 37 round-trip flights. The remaining services include 11 round-trips to Boston and 11 flights to Riyadh (12 return).

It is also worth noting that Lufthansa’s service to Riyadh (RUH) continues onward to Dammam (DMM), and therefore, DMM is also another destination that will see the carrier’s A340s this month. However, RUH-DMM is not a fifth freedom service.

Related

Lufthansa Extends Airbus A340-600 Retirement To Early-2026 As Boeing 787 Delivery Delays Persist

Lufthansa’s final A340-600 flight is scheduled for January 12, 2026.

What Will Replace Lufthansa’s A340s?

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While the A340 served the airline well in terms of providing the much-needed capacity in the post-pandemic recovery, the aircraft type was never meant to stay, as the airline is moving towards a simplified and efficient fleet. As such, the A340s are on their way out, along with other aircraft types such as the A330, A380, and the 747s. So, what will be the aircraft replacing Lufthansa’s A340s?

To understand this, it is worth noting that the three long-haul aircraft types Lufthansa currently has on order are the Boeing 787-9s, Boeing 777-9s, and the two variants of Airbus A350s. So the question remains, which of these aircraft types are the most suitable in terms of capacity and operational range to replace the A340’s operations? Comparing Lufthansa’s own fleet specifications along with those of the manufacturers, this is how these aircraft compare.

*The 777-9 and A350-1000 specifications are based on data from Boeing and Airbus.

While all of these newer aircraft have the operational ranges required to replace Lufthansa’s A340s, in terms of capacity and operational versatility, it can be concluded that the Boeing 787-9 and the Airbus A350-900 aircraft types can most suitably replace the operations of the A340 fleet. Both aircraft types are the latest generation models, capable of offering the best operational economics, reducing cost and carbon footprint for the airline, while also offering the latest in-flight products and services for the passengers, thereby elevating the customer experience.

The Fleet Is Already Reducing

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Considering that Lufthansa has been taking delivery of these new widebody aircraft, it is not surprising that the airline has been removing A340s from its fleet. The larger A340-600 will be the first to exit the fleet, and while the type was meant to be retired last year, delays with the 787 delivery prompted Lufthansa to keep the A340-600 for longer. However, the latest reports suggest that the type is due to exit the fleet in the coming months.

Scheduling data shows that the airline has slashed its A340 operations to the US by 42% during the first quarter of 2026, when compared to the same period in 2025. In terms of numbers, this represents 262 fewer A340 flights to the US in the first three months of 2026, which equates to 74,191 fewer seats compared to 2025. This is primarily due to A340 frequency reductions to several US destinations, and destinations such as Atlanta are seeing a complete equipment swap.

The number of A340s in the fleet is expected to continue decreasing as Lufthansa is expecting to receive between eight and 10 new Boeing 787-9s this year, which will replace the A340-600s and perhaps some of the -300 operations as well. While the carrier operated seven -600s and 17 of the smaller -300s during the Summer of 2025, the latest data shows only five -600s and 12 of the -300s are currently active, marking a significant reduction in the number of A340s currently active with the airline. Assuming the 787s and A350s due to Lufthansa are delivered at a reasonable pace, it is possible that the quadjets could disappear very soon.