The widebody aircraft fleet across the Lufthansa Group is undergoing a significant transition, marked by two distinct milestones reported yesterday. SWISS has officially retired its last Airbus A340-300, while Lufthansa announced the inaugural route for its incoming Airbus A350-1000. These events highlight the shift from older four-engine jets to modern twin-engine widebodies.
SWISS A340 retirement and preservation plans
The final flight of HB-JMB, a 23-year-old SWISS Airbus A340-300, concluded its commercial service on October 8. The aircraft departed Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) as flight LX53 and landed in Zurich (ZRH) the following day. Five days later, on October 14, the jet took off from Zurich at 8:38 AM as flight LX5202, marking its official retirement from active service.
Aviation reporting noted that the aircraft performed three ‘wing waves’ as it departed Swiss airspace. Its destination was Enschede Airport Twente (ENS) in the Netherlands, where it landed at 9:43 AM local time after a 65-minute flight. This move ends the era of the four-engine A340 for the Swiss carrier.
SWISS CEO Jens Fehlinger previously outlined plans to preserve the aircraft. “Our goal is clear: we want to bring [SWISS’s last] A340 to Lucerne in early 2028. The task now is to work with our many partners to make its extraordinary journey there possible.” HB-JMB is the first of its type to be retired this year, with three other A340s remaining in the fleet: HB-IFA, HB-IFB, and HB-IFC.
Lufthansa A350-1000 debut route
Simultaneously, Lufthansa announced that the Munich (MUC) to Tokyo Haneda (HND) route will serve as the commercial debut for its first Airbus A350-1000. The aircraft, which is scheduled for delivery in mid-November, will feature the airline’s 100th anniversary livery and bear the name ‘Deutschland.’
The inaugural commercial flight on this route is set for December 3. Following the Tokyo launch, the aircraft will also serve Singapore Changi Airport (SIN) and Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG). Lufthansa currently has 15 A350-1000s on order, signaling a major expansion of its long-haul widebody capabilities.
Fleet consolidation and cabin changes
SWISS is consolidating its remaining A340-300 routes. According to scheduling data from Cirium, the airline will serve only three destinations from Zurich using this aircraft type by next month: Chicago (ORD), Dubai (DXB), and Mumbai (BOM). The Mumbai route will cease in January, followed by Chicago and Dubai in June.
The transition to the Airbus A350-900 will alter the cabin configuration for SWISS passengers. The current A340-300s feature eight first class, 42 business, 21 premium economy, and 144 economy seats. The replacement A350-900s will have three first class, 45 business, 38 premium economy, and 156 economy seats. SWISS has already received three A350-900s and has seven more on order, with plans to expand its widebody fleet further in the latter part of the decade.
Source: Simple Flying
