Austrian Airlines has actively continued the modernization of its long-haul fleet. On June 1, 2026, the newest fleet member, a Boeing 787-9 with the registration OE-LPG, completed its official maiden flight in scheduled commercial service.
The aircraft took off shortly after 12:30 p.m. from Vienna-Schwechat Airport, operating as flight OS55, bound for Montreal, Canada. This wide-body aircraft will continue to be the primary choice for this transatlantic route in the coming weeks. According to Stefan-Kenan Scheib, Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Austrian Airlines, this new addition represents the ongoing restructuring of the intercontinental fleet, which is slated to be expanded by two more aircraft of this type later this year.
The aircraft was acquired as part of internal capacity reallocations within the Lufthansa Group, to which the Austrian airline belongs. Previously in service with its parent company, Lufthansa, the aircraft was transferred to Taipei in April for technical modifications. In Taiwan, in addition to the official acceptance inspection, the aircraft was registered in Austria, certified by the national aviation authorities, and extensive cabin modifications were carried out to meet Austrian Airlines' service standards. Following this, the aircraft received its new red-white-red livery at the Spanish storage and maintenance airfield in Teruel before arriving in Vienna on Pentecost Sunday for final handover.
The fleet integration program is part of a long-term fleet harmonization effort that began in 2024 with the first two Dreamliners. The airline's strategic goal is to fully standardize its long-haul fleet by the end of the 2028/2029 winter flight schedule and expand it to a total of twelve Boeing 787-9s. In return, the older models will be phased out gradually. The remaining six Boeing 777s and three Boeing 767s will leave the fleet successively, with the phasing out of the Boeing 767s scheduled for completion during 2026. This step will simplify maintenance logistics and significantly reduce operating costs on intercontinental routes.
Alongside the long-haul operations, Austrian Airlines is undergoing a major restructuring of its short- and medium-haul fleet. The company is completely phasing out its 17 Embraer E195 regional jets to reduce operational complexity. A large portion of this regional fleet will be transferred to Lufthansa's Italian subsidiary, Air Dolomiti; the next phase-out is planned for July 2026. As replacements, Austrian Airlines will receive six brand-new Airbus A320neo aircraft, each with 180 seats, the first two of which are expected to arrive in Vienna in the summer of 2026. These measures will reduce the airline's structural diversity from five aircraft types to just two core families: the Airbus A320 family for continental routes and the Boeing 787-9 for long-haul flights.