The Quiet End Of Quadjet Long-Haul Flights At Europe's Most Iconic Flag Carrier

SWISS will retire its last four Airbus A340-300s by the end of 2027, ending more than two decades of quadjet long-haul flying. The airline received its first A340 in 2004 and rebuilt its intercontinental network after Swissair’s collapse in 2001; nine aircraft were delivered and four remain. The final airframe, HB-JMH, will be donated to the Swiss Museum of Transport in Lucerne. Although retirements were initially expected for 2024–2025, delays in A350-900 and 787-9 replacements pushed the quadjet flying period two years longer. Within Lufthansa Group, similar patterns apply: Lufthansa mainline plans to retire remaining A340-600s in October 2026 and its 747-400s in 2027. SWISS keeps operating A340s from Zurich while remaining routes shift to A350s as deliveries arrive through 2027.