Frankfurt’s Role in Lufthansa‘s Operations
Frankfurt Airport serves as Lufthansa’s busiest hub. It is the second-busiest airport for Star Alliance’s international services and ranks as the world’s fifth-busiest airport for long-haul flights. Despite being 13th globally for widebody services, Lufthansa’s presence makes Frankfurt a notable spot for Airbus A340 and Boeing 747 operations.
Lufthansa’s Fleet Composition at Frankfurt
Lufthansa currently uses seven types of widebody aircraft from Frankfurt. The Airbus A380, notably missing, is reserved for operations from the Munich hub. The 747-8i and A340-300 remain the airline’s predominant twin-aisle aircraft.
| October Departures* | Widebody Type/Variant | % Of Lufthansa’s Twin-Aisle Takeoffs |
|---|---|---|
| 350 (11 to 12 daily) | 747-8i | 25.9% |
| 321 (eight to 12 daily) | A340-300 | 23.8% |
| 183 (five to six daily) | A330-300 | 13.6% |
| 149 (three to seven daily) | 787-9 | 11.0% |
| 132 (four to five daily) | 747-400 | 9.8% |
| 112 (two to four daily) | A350-900 | 8.3% |
| 103 (three to four daily) | A340-600 | 7.6% |
* Represents both directions of service.
Routes for the 747 and A340 in October
The switch to winter schedules on October 26 may affect flight frequencies. The table below details routes for these quadjets in October. Frankfurt’s primary destinations include Chicago O’Hare, New York JFK, and Boston.
| Lufthansa’s Type/Variant | Frankfurt Route In October* |
|---|---|
| A340-300 | Abuja, Almaty, Astana, Atlanta, Boston, Cape Town, Chennai, Chicago O’Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth, Delhi, Denver, Detroit, Dubai, Lagos, Los Angeles, Luanda, Malabo, Montreal, Mumbai, New York JFK, Port Harcourt, San Jose, Seattle, Vancouver, Washington Dulles |
| A340-600 | Boston, Chicago O’Hare, Dammam, Detroit, Hong Kong, New York JFK, Riyadh, Shanghai Pudong |
| 747-400 | Bengaluru, Delhi, New York JFK, Shanghai Pudong, Singapore, Toronto, Vancouver, Washington Dulles |
| 747-8i | Buenos Aires, Chicago O’Hare, Houston Intercontinental, Johannesburg, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Miami, New York JFK, San Francisco, São Paulo, Tokyo Haneda, Washington Dulles |
* Includes even partial service on listed routes.
Emerging Trends and Changes
Quadjet operations are expected to experience shifts. While there is a nearly 10% drop compared to the previous year, the A340-300 and 747-400 have seen growth. Specifically, A340-600 departures decreased by 57%, and 747-8i services by 9%. Conversely, A340-300 services rose by 13%, and 747-400 operations grew by 32%.
Lufthansa is gradually retiring certain aircraft, with expectations of retiring the last six A340-600s by early 2026.
