Lufthansa’s final four-engined jets

Earlier this month, Lufthansa took delivery of the final Airbus A380 aircraft it had on order, and will shortly receive its last Boeing 747. 

Lufthansa first flew the A380 in May 2010 and back in April 1970 the initial 100 series 747 arrived, the German national carrier operating more than 75 over the years. 

Lufthansa placed an order for 15 A380s with options on 10 December 2001.  It was never fully taken up.  Into the next decade it will operate just 14.

With the big Boeing the fleet structure is a little more complex with 16 aircraft of the 400 series available, these presumably being progressively withdrawn with the introduction of the 777X from 2020 onwards.

Lufthansa took delivery of its first -8I in early 2012, and inaugurated passenger flights between Frankfurt and Washington DC in June of that year.  Since the first delivery, 18 747-8Is have joined the fleet, and when the one more to come arrives will have a total of 19.

With a working life expectancy of around 20 years it looks like Lufthansa will be flying four-engined jets well into the 2030s.  It could be the last operator of the 747, except perhaps the President of the United States, and the odd cargo version.   www.lufthansa.com

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Peter Barron, London

Korean Air will also be taking delivery of the 747-8I and introducing them on their Heathrow services from August going daily from 01SEP. This will contain the new Prestige Class seats also.