Numerous airlines have already phased out their four-engine jets or at least announced that they will only operate jets with two engines on long-haul routes in the future. Lufthansa is taking a quite unusual approach, as it is reactivating further Airbus A340-600s that it actually no longer wanted to put into scheduled service.

The Kranich Group announced a long time ago that this model would be replaced by the Airbus A350-900 and that it would be gradually phased out. In the course of the corona pandemic, it was initially said that the Midelle Airbus A340-600 should no longer be reactivated. CEO Carsten Spohr also thought it was "unlikely" that Lufthansa would ever fly commercially with the A380 again. But both turned out differently or the decisions were revised. In the summer of 2023, the crane wants to be in the air again with superjumbos and five more A340-600s are also being brought back from long-term storage.

Five examples of this type are currently being used. It will soon be ten. This may also be due to the fact that additional aircraft with first-class cabins are needed. Currently, these can only be offered on the A350, the A340 and the Boeing 747-8. Although these will then also be on the A380 again, the superjumbos will only return to active scheduled service shortly before the summer of 2023. Thus, with the reactivation of five more Airbus A340-600, the first-class offer is to be expanded.

"We are bringing back the Airbus A340 to show that this is a way of responding to the growing premium demand - not only in the business but also in the private travel sector," said a Lufthansa spokesman. While the Quadjets in operation are stationed in Munich, the five that are now being reactivated are to be used from the home base in Frankfurt am Main. Additional capacity is required from this airport, which is primarily due to high demand.