The German carrier’s preliminary summer schedule reveals a strategic aircraft switch on two major Asian destinations as part of its ongoing fleet modernization plan.
Lufthansa could replace its Airbus A340-600 aircraft with Boeing 747-400s on flights to Hong Kong and Shanghai beginning March 29, 2026, according to preliminary schedule filings for the next summer season.
The switch affects flights from Frankfurt Airport (FRA) to Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) and Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG), as reported by aviation data tracker AeroRoutes. While schedules could still change, this move suggests Lufthansa may be reducing A340-600 operations during the 2026 summer season.
According to data from aviation analytics firm Cirium’s Diio Mi airline planning tool, the 747-400 will specifically replace the A340-600 on the thrice-weekly LH728 service to Shanghai and the corresponding return flight LH729. Currently, Lufthansa operates either an A350-900 on daily flight LH732 or an A340-600 on the LH728 frequency to Shanghai.
For Hong Kong service, the carrier currently deploys A340-600 aircraft on daily flights LH796/LH797 between Frankfurt and Hong Kong during the current summer season, with plans to transition these to the larger 747-400.
The 747-400 is already a mainstay in Lufthansa’s long-haul network. This July, at the peak of the Northern Hemisphere summer travel season, the airline has scheduled daily departures with the jumbo jet from Frankfurt to five destinations: New York John F. Kennedy (JFK), Toronto Pearson (YYZ), Vancouver (YVR), Bengaluru (BLR), and Singapore (SIN).
Starting in November, Lufthansa’s 747-400 network will expand to include Hong Kong, while Shanghai will receive service from the newer 747-8 variant. Additional 747-400 destinations later this year include Chicago O’Hare (ORD), Seoul Incheon (ICN), and Washington Dulles (IAD). No 747-400 operations are planned from the carrier’s secondary hub in Munich.
Despite these network adjustments, the clock is ticking on Lufthansa’s quad-engine fleet. According to the airline group’s 2024 report, its long-term fleet strategy aims to reduce aircraft type variety on long-haul routes across the group’s carriers.
The retirement of aging quad-engine aircraft β including the 747-400, 777-200ER, A340-600, A340-300, A330-200, and 767-300ER β will be balanced by introducing newer, more fuel-efficient models. Lufthansa has invested heavily in next-generation aircraft, ordering ten Airbus A350-1000s in March 2023 and adding five more to its order book in December 2024.
The airline is also anticipating delivery of its first Boeing 777-9 in 2026, according to Grazia Vittadini, Chief Technology Officer of Lufthansa Group. The executive shared this timeline during GE Aerospace’s “Powering Europe’s Aviation Future” event in Brussels, as reported by Reuters. Boeing has yet to complete certification of the new wide-body aircraft.
Key Takeaways
- Lufthansa will replace Airbus A340-600s with Boeing 747-400s on Frankfurt-Hong Kong and Frankfurt-Shanghai routes beginning March 2026.
- The aircraft change is part of the airline’s preliminary summer 2026 schedule.
- Lufthansa currently operates 747-400s on routes to North America and Asia from its Frankfurt hub.
- The carrier’s long-term strategy includes phasing out older four-engine aircraft in favor of newer models.
- Lufthansa expects delivery of its first Boeing 777-9 in 2026, pending the aircraft’s certification.
