The long boy of the sky – the Airbus A340-600 – faces an uncertain future with Lufthansa, as the airline chooses to park and decommission the type.
Lufthansa Airbus A340-600 at Frankfurt Airport – Image, Economy Class and Beyond
At the moment, Three A340-600 aircraft have been flown to Teruel Airport in north-eastern Spain where they’ll be parked.
The entire operating fleet of the type (currently 17 A340-600) will be decommissioned at Treul, where they will be decommissioned over the next 2 to 3 months. Lufthansa Group has chosen to park these aircraft, and not them place them on the regular scheduled services for at least the next one to one-and-a-half years.
After one and a half years, a decision will be made on their future – if to keep them in the sky or not. Some will be permanently parked, or if the airline wants to bring them back into service – with them keeping open the possibility of reactivating a maximum of ten aircraft will be taken at a later stage in time.
The Lufthansa A340-600 was unusual in some respects – not least for its length, but also for the economy toilet that was installed on the belly of the aircraft (as opposed on the main cabin deck). The aircraft otherwise was normal – offering a long haul four-cabin interior, with First, Business Premium Economy and Economy Class seating
Lufthansa has chosen Teruel Airport (located between Zaragoza and Valencia in the northeast of Spain), with its high amount of sunshine and little rainfall – making it the ideal place to park an aircraft.
The Airbus A340-600 worldwide operation is shrinking, with Virgin Atlantic removing theirs from service and now Lufthansa.
Iberia will remain the largest operator of the type for now with 15 frames, whilst Mahan Air (Iran – five frames) and South African Airways (four frames) maintain some in their fleet (with a collection of private operators and carriers operating less than 3 aircraft each).
For those who are a fan of the four-engine wonder, these might not survive COVID-19…
Welcome to Economy Class and Beyond – Your no-nonsense guide to network news, honest reviews, with in-depth coverage, unique research as well as the humour and madness as I only know how to deliver.
Follow me on Twitter at @EconomyBeyond for the latest updates! You can also follow me on Instagram too!
Also remember that as well as being part of BoardingArea, we’re also part of BoardingArea.eu, delivering frequent flyer news, miles and points to the European reader.
noooooooooo