Quantcast

Two-thirds of Lufthansa’s widebody flights at Frankfurt use aging four-engine jets

Routes & Networks Latest: Rolling Daily Updates (W/C Sept. 22, 2025)
First new Qantas Airbus jets come with one toilet for every 90 economy passengers – worse than Jetstar, Scoot and Ryanair
Breeze Airways becomes the first new US flag carrier in a decade — just as rival Spirit fights its 2nd bankruptcy
Airport runway close calls spur hopes for wider adoption of cockpit alert technology
Family sues American Airlines over deadly crash near National Airport
United Airlines briefly grounds all flights in US, Canada for second time in 2 months
2025 Air Canada flight attendants strike
Spirit Airlines preparing to furlough one-third of its flight attendants
‘Hypocrisy’ and ‘blackmail’: Ryanair’s feud with Spain
Exclusive: Turkey's surprise Air Europa deal came down to one key thing: control
Major airline launches exciting new route from Scotland to popular US location
Airlines fear carbon tax as flagship climate scheme develops holes
Ryanair scraps three Vienna routes, demands lower taxes and fees
Turkish Airlines has no intention of raising stake in Spain's Air Europa, chairman says
US lawmakers want Trump to reinstate delay compensation plan for air travelers
IATA pushes to raise international pilot retirement age to 67
US orders Delta and Aeromexico to dissolve their partnership over fairness concerns in Mexico
Southwest’s New Wheelchair Policy Will Require Passengers to Remove 1 Item Before Boarding — What to Know
Aviation expansion: IndiGo to start direct Mumbai-Copenhagen flights from Oct 8; marks entry into Nordics - The Times of India
Major change for ALL Aer Lingus passengers flying from busy airport to offer 'modern and streamlined' experience
Southwest Airlines adds Sonoma County in California expansion - The Points Guy
Routes & Networks Latest: Rolling Daily Updates (W/C Sept. 8, 2025)
Delta Sees Record Premium Seats in '26, Main Cabin Flat or Down
Southwest requiring removal of batteries from mobility devices before boarding
Qantas’ milestone move for huge, new planes
EasyJet to launch 11 new flight routes from small UK airport named the best in Europe
Tycoon unveils £25 billion rival Heathrow expansion plan
Boeing and Airbus ground green plane projects
50 New Routes Launching In September 2025
JetBlue's Network Shake-Up: Its Top 10 Routes This Month
Two-thirds of Lufthansa’s widebody flights at Frankfurt use aging four-engine jets
Policy
Webp luf
Carsten Spohr Chief Executive Officer | Lufthansa Group

Frankfurt Airport serves as Lufthansa's busiest hub and holds the position of the world's fifth-busiest airport for long-haul flights, according to Cirium Diio data. Despite ranking 13th globally for widebody aircraft services, Frankfurt stands out due to Lufthansa’s continued reliance on the Airbus A340 and Boeing 747—aircraft types that are becoming less common worldwide.

Lufthansa operates seven different widebody aircraft variants from Frankfurt, but notably does not use its Airbus A380s at this location; those are exclusively based in Munich. The 747-8i and A340-300 remain Lufthansa’s leading twin-aisle types in terms of frequency from Frankfurt. When combined with other quadjets such as the 747-400 and A340-600, these aircraft account for about two-thirds of all Lufthansa’s widebody departures from the airport.

In October, scheduled departures for these models include approximately 351 flights with the 747-8i (25.9% of twin-aisle takeoffs), 321 with the A340-300 (23.8%), and additional flights with other models like the A330-300, 787-9, and A350 variants. The upcoming introduction of newer twinjets like the A350-1000 and Boeing 777-9 will eventually replace many of these older four-engine jets.

Get the Newsletter
Sign-up to receive weekly round up of news from Sky Industry News
By submitting, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. By providing your phone number you are opting in and consenting to receive recurring SMS/MMS messages, including automated texts, to that number from our short code. Msg & data rates may apply. Reply HELP for help, STOP to end. SMS opt-in will not be sold, rented, or shared.

For October, quadjet routes from Frankfurt cover a range of destinations across North America, Asia, Africa, and South America. The United States is by far the top market: nearly half (48%) of all quadjet departures head there during this period. Top routes served by these aircraft include Chicago O'Hare, New York JFK, and Boston.

The total number of quadjet departures has declined compared to last October. In particular, takeoffs using the A340-600 have dropped by 57%, while those with the 747-8i have fallen by 9%. Four more A340-600s have been placed in storage recently, with full retirement expected by early 2026. However, some models have seen increased activity: services on the A340-300 are up by 13% year-over-year, and flights operated by the 747-400 have grown by 32%, though still from a relatively low starting point.

Lufthansa continues to adapt its fleet strategy at Frankfurt as it prepares to phase out older aircraft in favor of new-generation models over the coming years.

Organizations Included in this History
More News

Flying Food Group, Inc. has announced the recipients of its 2025 scholarships, with all five applicants receiving awards this year.

Oct 23, 2025

Dnata, a global provider of air and travel services, has entered into a joint venture with Azerbaijan’s Silk Way Group to launch ground handling and cargo operations at Alat International Airport, located in the Alat Free Economic Zone in Baku.

Oct 22, 2025

Delta Air Lines has announced the release of version 7.5 of its mobile app, introducing new features aimed at making travel planning and management easier for customers during the holiday season.

Oct 22, 2025

The Fair Work Commission has ruled that a former employee of dnata Airport Services was unfairly dismissed and awarded $36,468.39 in compensation.

Oct 22, 2025

The 13th Annual Breast Care International Walk for the Cure took place in Kumasi, Ghana, drawing around 30,000 participants, including survivors, healthcare professionals, students, traditional leaders, and advocates.

Oct 22, 2025

The Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) has announced the closure of Terminal 5 to allow for a significant redevelopment.

Oct 22, 2025