# Lufthansa to Retire A340-600s and Ground 747-400s in October 2026

_Apr 16 18:02_

Tags: Discover Airlines, Lufthansa, Lufthansa CityLine, loyalty program, policy change, airline, safety & operations, program change

Lufthansa will retire its last four A340-600s and ground two 747-400s in October 2026, with full 747-400 retirement by 2027. Nine A350s will move to subsidiary Discover Airlines

## Summary

Lufthansa has announced significant long-haul fleet adjustments driven by high oil prices and labor issues. **Aircraft Retirements and Groundings:**
- The last four Airbus A340-600s will be retired in October 2026, ending the type's service at the carrier.
- Two Boeing 747-400s will be grounded in October 2026. The entire 747-400 fleet is expected to be permanently retired in 2027. Note: These are separate from the 747-8s which remain in service. **Fleet Reallocation:**
- Nine additional Airbus A350-900s will be allocated to Discover Airlines, Lufthansa's low-cost long-haul subsidiary. This likely involves ex-Philippine Airlines A350s with unique interiors, shifting them from mainline Lufthansa to the subsidiary. **Context:**
- These moves follow the sudden shutdown of Lufthansa CityLine. The strategy appears to maximize flights under the lower-margin Discover brand while managing labor relations. **Impact:**
- Frequent flyers should expect reduced availability of A340-600 and 747-400 cabins on Lufthansa long-haul routes starting late 2026

## Why it matters

Affects 3 airline programs (Discover Airlines, Lufthansa, Lufthansa CityLine).

## Sources cited

- [One Mile at a Time](https://onemileatatime.com/news/lufthansa-outsourcing-a350-retiring-a340-grounding-747) — Lufthansa Outsourcing A350-900s, Retiring A340-600s, Grounding 747-400s

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