Lufthansa (LH) is preparing to place another long-haul aircraft order, and this time only one manufacturer will win it. Lufthansa Group CEO Carsten Spohr said the carrier will choose between additional Airbus A350-1000 jets and more Boeing 777-9 aircraft for delivery starting in 2033.
Spohr did not reveal how many aircraft the order will include, German aviation outlet aeroTELEGRAPH reported. Should Lufthansa pick the Boeing jet, the new 777Xs would likely be based at Frankfurt Airport (FRA), Aviation Week noted. An A350-1000 order would more likely be split between Frankfurt and Munich Airport (MUC), based on how Lufthansa has allocated the type in the past.
Why Lufthansa Is Weighing A350-1000 Against 777-9 Now
Lufthansa originally planned to renew its long-haul fleet with only three new aircraft types: the Boeing 787-9, the Boeing 777-9, and the Airbus A350-900. The larger A350-1000 was not part of that plan at first.
That changed because the 777-9 kept slipping behind schedule. Lufthansa placed its first order for ten A350-1000s in 2023 to cover the gap, then expanded that order to 15 aircraft in 2024. The pattern is clear: every time Boeing’s flagship widebody falls further behind, Lufthansa leans more heavily on Airbus to fill the capacity hole.
Spohr gave more detail on the same decision in March 2026, speaking at the Airlines for Europe summit in Brussels. “We’re just at a final phase,” he said, adding that a decision was “a few weeks away probably.” He also confirmed that aircraft from this order will be delivered in 2033.
Lufthansa’s Current Widebody Order Backlog
Lufthansa’s existing order book already includes a large mix of both manufacturers’ aircraft. As of late March 2026, the airline group had the following outstanding widebody orders.
- 21 Airbus A350-900s
- 15 Airbus A350-1000s
- 25 Boeing 787-9s
- 27 Boeing 777Xs
This backlog sits alongside an aging in-service fleet that still needs replacement. A large share of Lufthansa’s current jets are old, and several four-engine aircraft are approaching retirement. At Lufthansa Airlines, the A340-600s are scheduled to leave the fleet after the 2026 summer season, while the A340-300s and 747-400s are expected to stay in service until after next summer.
Other carriers within the Lufthansa Group face similar fleet pressure. Austrian Airlines (OS) needs to replace its 777-200s and 767-300ERs. Swiss International Air Lines (Swiss) still operates A340s, much like Lufthansa. Across the group, these replacements have slipped because the new aircraft are not arriving on time, delayed by late 777X deliveries and by seat certification issues on the 787-9.
Boeing 777X Delivery Timeline Keeps Shifting
The Boeing 777-9 delivery date has moved several times. Aviation Week’s latest estimate places first delivery in early 2027, which matches what Spohr told reporters at Lufthansa’s annual press conference in Frankfurt in March 2026. He said he is confident Boeing will hit the first-quarter 2027 target and that the aircraft will enter passenger service that summer from Frankfurt.
Boeing has continued certification testing in recent weeks. A test aircraft built to Lufthansa’s exact delivery specification, including its passenger cabin, recently completed a long-range Arctic test flight as part of that process. The aircraft is not a prototype; Boeing built it specifically for Lufthansa, its confirmed launch customer, with a fully installed passenger cabin rather than engineering test hardware. Lufthansa became Boeing’s confirmed launch customer for the type in January 2025, when Boeing’s chief financial officer named the airline on an earnings call, ending speculation that Emirates (EK) might take that role instead.
Lufthansa Airlines CEO Jens Ritter has separately confirmed how the airline plans to deploy incoming long-haul jets over the next three years. “Over the next 36 months, Lufthansa is expecting the largest fleet renewal in its history,” he said, according to a report from Aerospace Global News. He added that 61 new aircraft are scheduled to join the fleet by the end of 2027, an average of roughly one new jet every few weeks.
Spohr’s comments on the widebody order came alongside news that Lufthansa will keep trimming its short-haul network. The carrier plans to remove 15 more aircraft from service in 2027 and continue cutting unprofitable routes.
The airline is also adjusting how it plans to use the 777-9 once it arrives. Lufthansa no longer expects to fly the type on long-haul routes during the 2027 summer season. Instead, it will extend the service life of some Airbus A340-300 jets to cover the gap.
How This Order Compares with Lufthansa’s Other Recent Aircraft Purchases
Lufthansa has not gone quiet on aircraft orders while it weighs this latest decision. Spohr announced a separate order for additional long-haul aircraft in March 2026, and that order was finalized in May 2026. The May order covered ten more A350-900s and ten more Boeing 787-9s, scheduled for delivery between 2032 and 2034. That order is distinct from the pending A350-1000-versus-777-9 decision, since it covers smaller-bodied jets on a different delivery timeline.
Spohr framed the May order as both a fleet strategy and a sustainability move. “By ordering 20 additional long-haul aircraft, we are making a sustainable investment in the future of the Lufthansa Group,” he said. He added that it represents “a clear commitment to a modern fleet, to premium quality, and to further reducing CO2 emissions.” Lufthansa expects the broader fleet renewal to cut complexity and improve operational efficiency and stability.
This would not be Lufthansa’s first time choosing the A350-1000 over a delayed Boeing jet. The airline placed its first order for ten A350-1000s in March 2023, citing the same combination of Boeing delays and recovering travel demand it appears to be weighing again now. Lufthansa expanded that order again in December 2024, adding five more A350-1000s for delivery between 2028 and 2030.
Lufthansa has said the A350-1000 will serve premium-heavy routes and will always carry a First-Class cabin. That positioning matters for the pending order, since any new A350-1000s would likely follow the same premium-market strategy already established for the type.
What The A350-1000 And 777-9 Each Offer Lufthansa
Both aircraft would replace the same group of aging four-engine jets, but they differ in key respects:
- The Airbus A350-1000 measures 73.8 meters in length and offers roughly 55 more seats than the standard A350-900.
- The Boeing 777-9 carries 42 more seats than the existing 777-300ER and uses new GE engines along with a composite wing built for better fuel efficiency.
- Lufthansa already operates the A350-900 at scale, giving it a head start on pilot training and maintenance infrastructure for any larger A350 variant.
- Lufthansa is the confirmed launch customer for the 777-9, which gives it priority delivery slots once Boeing finishes certification.
Lufthansa’s cabin strategy adds another layer to the comparison. Its new Allegris cabin concept, which includes a First Class suite that recently won a Red Dot design award, was originally meant to debut on the 777-9. Because of the Boeing jet’s delays, Lufthansa moved the launch to its A350 fleet instead. The 777-9 will eventually carry the Allegris cabin too, including a Suite Plus product with floor-to-ceiling walls, a closing door, and beds up to 220 centimeters long.
Lufthansa Cargo Has Already Picked a Side on the 777X
While the passenger order remains undecided, Lufthansa Group has already made a freighter decision tied to the 777X program. The group ordered the 777-8 freighter variant for Lufthansa Cargo, but it has not ordered the rival Airbus A350 freighter.
That cargo order does not predict how the passenger decision will go, since the freighter market offers fewer competing options. Still, it shows Lufthansa Group remains comfortable committing to Boeing’s 777X program in at least one part of its Airbus A350business, even as it weighs the larger passenger order between the two manufacturers.