Lufthansa remains the world’s largest operator of the Boeing 747, flying both the 747-8 and 747-400 variants. The airline currently operates 19 Boeing 747-8s and eight Boeing 747-400s, all based in Frankfurt. These aircraft complement Lufthansa’s Airbus A380 fleet, which is now stationed in Munich.
The Boeing 747-400s are configured with three classes—business, premium economy, and economy—accommodating a total of 371 passengers. The newer 747-8s offer a four-class layout with first class included, seating up to 364 passengers. The airline uses its most premium-heavy aircraft, the 747-8, on routes with high business demand.
One of Lufthansa’s notable long-haul services is between Frankfurt and Los Angeles International Airport. This route covers a distance of 5,045 nautical miles (9,344 kilometers) and is operated year-round using the Boeing 747-8. Flight times are scheduled for about 11 hours and 40 minutes westbound to Los Angeles and just under 11 hours eastbound to Frankfurt.
Lufthansa’s longest route by distance with the Boeing 747 is between Frankfurt and Buenos Aires. This daily service spans approximately 6,198 nautical miles (11,479 kilometers), with scheduled flight times of nearly 14 hours heading to Argentina and slightly less on the return journey. The airline deploys its flagship Boeing 747-8 for this route throughout the year.
Other significant long-haul routes include flights from Frankfurt to Tokyo Haneda (5,067 NM/9,384 km), Mexico City (5,166 NM/9,567 km), São Paulo Guarulhos (5,279 NM/9,776 km), and Singapore (5,552 NM/10,283 km). While most of these are served by the Boeing 747-8, the Singapore route primarily utilizes the older but denser-configured Boeing 747-400 for much of the year.
Lufthansa faces competition on some routes. For example, LATAM operates more total seats between Frankfurt and São Paulo using a two-class Boeing 777-300ER configuration focused on economy seating. Meanwhile, Singapore Airlines provides substantial capacity between Frankfurt and Singapore using both an Airbus A380 and a four-class Boeing 777-300ER.
Due to ongoing restrictions over Russian airspace for European carriers, Lufthansa’s flights between Europe and Asia must take longer detours over Central Asia and China. This results in longer block times compared to direct great circle routing.
As a member of Star Alliance, Lufthansa maintains exclusive access from Germany to certain destinations such as Mexico City, where SkyTeam member Aeromexico does not operate direct flights from Germany.
Overall, Lufthansa continues to use its fleet of Boeing 747s strategically on high-demand international routes where premium seating is valued by business travelers.
