With over 25 passenger Boeing 747s in its fleet, Lufthansa is at this point the largest operator of the type in the world. It is also the largest operator of both the 747-400 and the 747-8 and, together with...
With over 25 passenger Boeing 747s in its fleet, Lufthansa is at this point the largest operator of the type in the world. It is also the largest operator of both the 747-400 and the 747-8 and, together with Air China and Korean Air, one of the three operators of the passenger version of the latter.
Continue reading to learn more about Lufthansa 747s including the routes they operate and whether or not the airline has any retirement plans for the type.
Lufthansa operates 747-400s and 747-8s.
Lufthansa 747 Routes
Lufthansa’s Boeing 747s operate exclusively out of Frankfurt Airport. In 2024, they are scheduled to, at one point or another, operate flights to about 20 destinations around the world. While most of the destinations are in North America and Asia, the 747 will also appear on flights to South America and Africa.
Four routes are scheduled to be operated by both the 747-400 and 747-8 (all dates mentioned below are for outbound flights departing from Frankfurt):
Bangalore: Daily 747-400 until March 30, 2024, and from October 27, 2024. Daily 747-8 between March 31, 2024, and October 26, 2024. Houston: Daily 747-400 from March 31, 2024, until October 26, 2024; A340-600 before that. Daily 747-8 from October 27, 2024. Seoul Incheon: Daily 747-400 until March 30, 2024, and from October 27, 2024. Daily 747-8 between March 31, 2024, and October 26, 2024. Washington Dulles: Daily 747-400 until February 9, 2024, then daily 747-8.In addition to the above, the Lufthansa 747-400 will also operate flights between Frankfurt and:
Delhi: Daily throughout the year. Mumbai: Daily between January 15, 2024, and March 30, 2024. 787-9 before and after that. New York JFK: Daily throughout the year on one of two rotations (LH400/LH401). Toronto: Daily between March 31, 2024, and October 26, 2024. Vancouver: Daily between March 31, 2024, and October 26, 2024.Lastly, the Lufthansa 747-8 will also operate the following routes out of Frankfurt daily throughout the year unless otherwise noted:
Buenos Aires Chicago (daily on the LH430/LH431 rotation from February 1, 2024; A340s on non-747 flights) Johannesburg Los Angeles Mexico City Miami Newark San Francisco Sao Paulo Shanghai (daily until March 30, 2024, and from October 27, 2024; A340-600 between that) Singapore Tokyo Haneda
Routes the Lufthansa 747 -400 will be seen on regularly in 2024. (Map generated using Great Circle Mapper)
Routes the Lufthansa 747 -8 will be seen on regularly in 2024. (Map generated using Great Circle Mapper)
Lufthansa 747 Fleet
Lufthansa has been using the Boeing 747 for over 50 years now. It received its first airframe of the type, a 747-100 registered D-ABYA, back in 1970 – the same year the type’s customer Pan Am put it into service. That makes Lufthansa one of the earliest operators of the Jumbo Jet.
Since then, the airline operated a number of different 747 variants including passenger, cargo, and combi aircraft. In addition to being one of the earliest 747-100 operators, it was the launch customer for the 747-200F. It also used the 747-200B, 747-200M, and 747-400M in the past.
Currently, Lufthansa operates eight 747-400s and 19 747-8s. It was the launch customer of the latter’s passenger version. One of its 747-8s is painted in a beautiful retro livery.
Below is a list of Lufthansa’s active 747-400s:
D-ABTK (MSN 29871, delivered in 2001) D-ABTL (MSN 29872, delivered in 2002) D-ABVM (MSN 29101, delivered in 1998) D-ABVU (MSN 29492, delivered in 1998) D-ABVW (MSN 29493, delivered in 1999) D-ABVX (MSN 29868, delivered in 1999) D-ABVY (MSN 29869, delivered in 2000, new livery) D-ABVZ (MSN 29870, delivered in 2001, new livery)
One of the Lufthansa 747-400s that has already been retired.
Below is a list of Lufthansa’s active 747-8s (which also happens to be a list of all the airframes it received since it hasn’t retired any yet):
D-ABYA (MSN 37827, delivered in 2012, new livery) D-ABYC (MSN 37828, delivered in 2012, new livery) D-ABYD (MSN 37829, delivered in 2012) D-ABYF (MSN 37830, delivered in 2012) D-ABYG (MSN 37831, delivered in 2013) D-ABYH (MSN 37832, delivered in 2013) D-ABYI (MSN 37833, delivered in 2013) D-ABYJ (MSN 37834, delivered in 2013) D-ABYK (MSN 37835, delivered in 2013) D-ABYL (MSN 37836, delivered in 2014) D-ABYM (MSN 37837, delivered in 2014) D-ABYN (MSN 37838, delivered in 2014) D-ABYO (MSN 37841, delivered in 2014) D-ABYP (MSN 37839,delivered in 2014, the 1,500th 747 ever built) D-ABYQ (MSN 37840, delivered in 2014) D-ABYR (MSN 37842, delivered in 2015) D-ABYS (MSN 37843, delivered in 2015) D-ABYT (MSN 37844, delivered in 2015, retro livery) D-ABYU (MSN 37845, delivered in 2015)It’s worth noting that D-ABYA and D-ABYC are registrations that were used by Lufthansa’s 747-100s back in the 1970s. The reason there is no 747-8 registered D-ABYB is that the 747-100 with that registration was involved in a deadly accident in Kenya in 1974.
A Lufthansa 747-8 at Tokyo Haneda Airport.
Lufthansa 747 Seat Configuration
In the past, Lufthansa used to have first class (which had an interesting seat with a bed placed separately next to it) on the 747-400s and operate the aircraft in multiple configurations. Now, all Lufthansa 747-400s are equipped with 371 seats in three classes including:
67 lie-flat business class seats in a 2-2 layout in the nose section of the main deck and on the upper deck and a 2-3-2 layout further back on the main deck 32 premium economy class seats in a 2-4-2 layout on the main deck 272 economy class seats in a 3-4-3 layout on the main deck (2-4-2 in the very back of the aircraft)All Lufthansa Boeing 747-8s are equipped with 364 seats in four classes including:
8 first class seats in the nose section of the main deck including two 1-1 rows and one 1-2-1 row 80 lie-flat business class seats in a 2-2-2 layout on the main deck and a 2-2 layout on the upper deck 32 premium economy class seats in a 2-4-2 layout on the main deck 244 economy class seats in a 3-4-3 layout on the main deck (2-4-2 in the very back of the aircraft)Overall, because of the premium-heavy configuration Lufthansa chose for its 747-8s, the aircraft seats fewer passengers than the smaller 747-400.
In terms of passenger comfort, seats in the three overlapping cabins are essentially the same. The one major difference, though, is that on the 747-400, the middle section has three seats per row rather than just two like the 747-8 does. In other words, on a Lufthansa 747-400, it is possible to fly in business class and end up in a middle seat.
For more information about what the aircraft are like on the inside, make sure to read my reviews of Lufthansa 747-400 economy class and premium economy class. You might also want to read my review of Lufthansa A340-300 business class which features the same seats as the 747s.
Lufthansa 747-400 economy class cabin.
Lufthansa 747 Retirement Plans
With 371 and 364 seats respectively, the 747-400 and 747-8 are the second and third largest aircraft types in Lufthansa’s fleet after its A380s. The 747-8 is also Lufthansa’s aircraft type with the highest number of premium class seats. It has the same number of first class seats as the A380 but has 80 rather than 78 business class seats.
Because of that and the fact that Lufthansa has no viable alternative for the 747s (at least until the delayed 777Xs start joining its fleet), we will likely see the airline’s Jumbo Jets grace the skies for at least another decade. That’s especially the case with the 747-8s.
That said, there is no official retirement timeline as of right now.
Summary
Lufthansa is one of the few remaining passenger Boeing 747 operators. It was one of the first customers to receive the 747-100 in 1970 and has operated one variant or another of the type since then. Today, it operates 747-400s and 747-8s.
Serving over 20 destinations around the world, mostly in North America and Asia, from Frankfurt, the Lufthansa Jumbos are still relatively easy to catch. They are also likely to be here for at least another decade in the form of the 747-8.
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