The German flag carrier Lufthansa is planning its summer flight schedule for 2027 without relying on the Boeing 777-9. Boeing has promised that the first 777-9 for Lufthansa will be delivered in early 2027, but CEO Carsten Spohr prefers to plan the airline’s schedule without the aircraft.
Instead of planning around the 777-9, Lufthansa will keep its Airbus A340-300s in service for longer, despite the aircraft’s higher fuel consumption. For the summer 2027 flight schedule, more A340-300s will remain in operation than originally planned. According to Spohr, it is unclear exactly how many A340-300s will remain in the fleet and continue flying for longer, but he said the aircraft will remain in service until more Boeing 777Xs are delivered.
According to Spohr, Lufthansa’s decision means that its previous Plan B, keeping a larger number of A340-300s active, has now become Plan A. However, this is not a particularly favourable solution for the airline. Spohr pointed to the implications if the Boeing 777-9s fail to arrive in early 2027 and the A340-300s have to remain in service for longer. Older aircraft, including the A340-300, A340-600 and Boeing 747-400, generally require higher maintenance costs.
Another factor is fuel prices. Jet fuel prices continue to rise amid the war in Iran and associated concerns over fuel quality. Compared with the Airbus A340-300, the Boeing 777-9 would be significantly more fuel-efficient. However, there is no guarantee that the 777X will actually be delivered to Lufthansa in the first quarter of 2027. With oil prices exceeding $100 per barrel, Spohr estimates that Lufthansa’s additional fuel bill could surpass the €1.5 billion figure he had previously cited for the year.
Consequently, Lufthansa’s A340-300s are intended to fill the gap for no longer than necessary. Once the Boeing 777-9s are actually available, Lufthansa plans to retire the corresponding older four-engine aircraft from its fleet and deploy the 777-9s on those routes.
