Lufthansa Group’s fleet modernisation programme will involve heavily reducing the diversity of aircraft types by the end of the decade.
The company has 13 widebody passenger aircraft models but is phasing out six over the next three years.
Lufthansa Group will cut the Airbus A340-600, A330-200 and Boeing 767-300ER next year.
The A340-300s and 747-400s will follow in 2027.
Lufthansa Group will also drop its 777-200ERs in 2028, according to a presentation at the company’s capital markets day on 29 September.
It aims to simplify the fleet to feature between six and nine types in 2030.
The carrier says the harmonization will “reduce operational complexity” in crewing, maintenance and reserves, adding that it aims to improve aircraft productivity by 10-15% over the next five years. The future fleet structure will be more flexible, increasing interchangeability between markets.
Its widebody fleet will comprise Boeing 747-8s, 787s and 777s – with both the -300ER and new -9 – alongside the Airbus A350, including the -900 and -1000, and A330-300.
While Lufthansa operates the Airbus A380, its place in the future line-up remains undetermined.
Lufthansa Group says its fleet, which stands at 782 across its carriers including Italy’s ITA, will expand to 814 by the end of the decade.
It states that its share of next-generation widebodies will nearly treble to 65% by 2030, by which point it will have caught up on aircraft delivery delays that have left its fleet lagging that of peers IAG and Air France-KLM Group.
Lufthansa Group says next-generation widebodies currently comprise 23% of its fleet, rather than the 44% planned, and it has had to retain older models to offset the effect of having some 50 fewer next-generation airframes than expected.
