Lufthansa Cuts Airbus A340 US Flights by 50% This Winter

Over the past few decades, airlines have shifted toward twin-engine aircraft to reduce fuel burn and operating costs. Earlier generations saw fleets dominated by three- and four-engine widebodies, but most have now been phased out. Only a handful of quadjets and trijets remain in service today, such as the Airbus A380, Boeing 747, and McDonnell Douglas MD-11, as well as the Airbus A340. The latter was European planemaker’s first four-engine aircraft, and was developed in parallel with the A330 twinjet to succeed the A300, the world’s first widebody twinjet.

When it entered service in 1993, its four-engine redundancy was still considered an advantage, and the operating economics of the time made it viable. However, the market dynamics have shifted in recent decades. Only a handful of airlines still operate A340s, and Lufthansa is one of them. The German carrier was among the launch customers alongside Air France, and has retained the type in its long-haul fleet ever since. According to ch-aviation data, Lufthansa currently operates 17 Airbus A340-300s and 14 A340-600s, with an average age of 26.1 and 19.6 years, respectively.

Dreamliners Are Replacing Dozens Of Lufthansa A340 Flights Across The Atlantic

According to aviation analytics provider Cirium, the German carrier has scheduled just over 10,000 Airbus A340 flights this year. This includes around 7,300 flights operated by the A340-300 and almost 2,900 by the larger A340-600. Indeed, the type continues to feature across several of its long haul routes, including to the United States. This year alone, the airline scheduled more than 2,400 A340 flights to the US.

Looking ahead, through the winter season, the type will remain active on a number of routes, including to Denver, Boston, and New York JFK from its Frankfurt hub. Overall, Lufthansa will operate a similar number of flights to the US this winter compared to the same period last year, but with a noticeable change in aircraft deployments. Cirium data shows that the airline has reduced its A340 flights to the US by nearly half, equating to over 500 fewer one-way services.

Much of this capacity is being replaced by the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, which continues to expand across Lufthansa’s transatlantic network. At the same time, the airline has slightly reduced reduced frequencies on some routes, including Atlanta and Detroit. Interestingly, it has extended A340 operations to Canada, where the type will temporarily replace the Dreamliner on the Frankfurt–Montreal route this winter.

Where Lufthansa Is Deploying A340-300s This Winter

As previously mentioned, Lufthansa currently operates 17 A340-300s configured with 30 business class seats in a 2-2-2 layout, 28 premium economy seats in a 2-3-2 layout, and 221 economy seats. Between November and the end of March, the airline is scheduled to operate around 387 one-way flights on US routes with the variant, compared to 564 during the same period last year. One of the most notable changes is on its Frankfurt– Atlanta route.

Last winter, the airline operated this service almost entirely with the A340-300. At present, the aircraft continues to fly the route daily, but from November 20, Lufthansa will switch it to the 294-seat 787-9 Dreamliner. Another major change is on the Frankfurt–Denver route, which was operated by the larger A340-600 last year. This winter, the airline is assigning the smaller variant to the service instead. In addition, several US destinations will see reduced A340-300 frequencies, including Seattle, Detroit, and Dallas/Fort Worth.

The Detroit service, in particular, will see mixed operations throughout the season. Lufthansa initially scheduled it for the A340-300, but it will now be operated by a combination of the A340-300, A340-600, and Boeing 787-9. This month, the route is mostly operated by the A340-600, and will shift to a mix of A340-300s and Dreamliners in December. Furthermore, one route missing from this year’s schedule is Frankfurt–Minneapolis. Lufthansa operated around eight A340 flights on the route last winter, but earlier this year, in April, the carrier transferred it to its group subsidiary, Discover Airlines.

*One way flights

Lufthansa Has Reduced A340-600 Flights By 68% This Winter Season

In terms of the A340-600, the Star Alliance member has scheduled only 173 flights this winter, compared to 550 during the same period last year. According to aeroLOPA, the aircraft is configured with eight first class suites, 56 business class seats, 28 premium economy seats, and 189 economy seats. Only three of the carrier’s US routes will see these first-class-equipped aircraft: New York JFK, Detroit, and Boston. The airline has reassigned other routes to different types.

For instance, Denver, which last winter was served by the A340-600, will instead be operated by a mix of A340-300s and A350-900s this season. Meanwhile, Chicago O’Hare, one of Lufthansa’s busiest US destinations, has been upgauged from the A340-600 to the Boeing 747. Last winter, the airline operated 147 one-way A340-600 flights on the route, but this year it will rely primarily on the 747 alongside the A350-900 and A340-300.

Furthermore, both JFK and Boston will see fewer A340-600 flights as well. At New York JFK, the airline has shifted nearly half of the capacity to the Boeing 787-8, while in Boston, Lufthansa has reassigned part of the schedule to the A350-900 and A330-300. The German carrier has been planning to retire its A340-600 fleet for some time, but delivery delays of newer aircraft have forced it to extend its service.

*One way flights

It had initially intended to phase out the remaining A340-600s by late 2025, pending the arrival of up to ten 787-9s. However, several of these Dreamliners remain in storage in the US due to seat certification delays. As a result, the A340-600 will continue operating into next summer, alongside the airline’s aging 747s, which face a similar timeline.