FRANKFURT, May 11, 2026, 21:05 (CEST)
Lufthansa Group has signed off on a $7.7 billion order for 20 new long-haul jets—ten Airbus A350-900s and ten Boeing 787-9s—part of its strategy to refresh its fleet well into the next decade.
Lufthansa’s supervisory board gave the green light to the deal on Monday, following management’s move to order ten jets apiece from both models. The new aircraft are scheduled for delivery between 2032 and 2034, aiming to swap out older, less efficient long-haul planes.
Timing is critical here. Widebody jets—those twin-aisle planes flying long-haul—are scarce, with Lufthansa snapping up production slots years ahead of actual demand. According to Aero.de, both Airbus and Boeing are seeing their widebody order books stretch well into the 2030s as carriers rush to lock down future capacity.
Costs are in focus here too. Lufthansa argues that streamlining its fleet will help trim complexity, boost operational reliability, and drive down both maintenance and operating bills. According to Airliners.de, the company aims to pare its long-haul fleet from 13 different aircraft types to just nine by 2030.
The order comes on the heels of last week’s first-quarter update, where Lufthansa logged 8.7 billion euros in revenue—an 8% rise—and reported a narrower adjusted operating loss. “We’re pulling every lever available to reduce costs,” said Chief Financial Officer Till Streichert. Despite higher fuel prices and ongoing uncertainty tied to the Middle East, the group stuck to its 2026 outlook. Lufthansa Group Newsroom
Carsten Spohr, the chief executive, described the order as “a clear commitment to a modern fleet.” According to Spohr, the A350 and 787 models come out ahead in fuel efficiency, operate more quietly, and emit less than the planes they’ll replace. He’s calling this the largest fleet modernization the Lufthansa Group has ever taken on. MarketScreener
Lufthansa hasn’t specified which airline or hub will be assigned the new planes yet. According to AeroTELEGRAPH, the A350 might end up with a mix of group carriers—names in the mix include Lufthansa, SWISS, Discover, Edelweiss, and ITA Airways. The 787, for now, is only flying with Lufthansa and Austrian Airlines inside the group.
Lufthansa Group’s fresh order brings its total to 232 next-generation aircraft on the books, with 107 of those earmarked as long-haul jets. It’s a hefty backlog, yet the sheer volume allows the carrier to phase out older planes gradually instead of grounding them in a single sweep.
This deal comes as airlines scramble for new long-haul jets. Delta snapped up 31 Airbus widebodies in January, following a separate Boeing 787-10 agreement. At the same time, SAS has held discussions with both Airbus and Boeing over a major widebody order, part of the ongoing push to refresh international fleets.
The calendar is the wild card. Lufthansa’s 2032-2034 delivery timeline locks in supply, but demand, fuel prices, and production schedules could all shift before any jet touches down. The group hasn’t said which airline or hub will get the planes, so the commercial plan is still up in the air.
Frankfurt’s session wrapped up ahead of the evening news. Lufthansa’s shares on Xetra settled 2.1% higher at 8.312 euros on Monday. Some additional uptick then showed up after hours.
