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Lufthansa operates the largest fleet of passenger-configured Boeing 747 aircraft in the world, with eight 747-400s and 19 747-8is, all based at Frankfurt Airport. The airline has never scheduled regular Boeing 747 flights from Munich. The older 747-400s, which average over 25 years in age, will be replaced by new Boeing 777-9s and will not undergo refurbishment. These aircraft seat a total of 371 passengers. In contrast, the newer 747-8is, averaging nearly 12 years old, will be retrofitted with Lufthansa's Allegris cabins and have a capacity of 364 seats.
From September to December, Lufthansa’s longest scheduled Boeing 747 flight is from Tokyo Haneda to Frankfurt, with a maximum block time of up to 14 hours and 25 minutes. This route is operated daily using the Boeing 747-8i throughout the year. Although this is Lufthansa’s longest jumbo service, it does not surpass Air China’s Washington Dulles to Beijing Capital route—the world’s longest passenger-flying jumbo operation—which can take up to nearly 17 hours and also uses the Boeing 747-8i. Both airlines reroute flights to avoid Russian airspace.
The Shanghai Pudong to Frankfurt route is notable for being operated by the older Boeing 747-400 during winter. Scheduled at up to nearly 14 hours, it stands as the world's longest current passenger service using this model due to seasonal winds and ongoing airspace restrictions.
