Discover Airlines, the leisure airline of the Lufthansa Group, is continuing its growth trajectory and is expanding its fleet to 40 aircraft by mid-2028.
The future flagship of the long-haul fleet is to be the state-of-the-art Airbus A350-900. From mid-2027, it is planned to gradually add four of these particularly efficient and comfortable aircraft to the fleet.
The A350-900 could initially be used on existing Discover Airlines routes such as Windhoek or Orlando.
Thanks to its long range, it also opens up the possibility of flying to holiday destinations that are not accessible with the current fleet – such as South and Central America, southern Africa or Southeast Asia.
With the Airbus A350, Discover Airlines can take a big step forward in the further development of its long-haul fleet. The twin-engine Airbus A350-900 is one of the most modern wide-body aircraft in the world.
It consumes significantly less kerosene than previous models, flies particularly quietly and is largely made of lightweight composite materials – for greater efficiency and noticeably higher cabin comfort thanks to better humidity and lower cabin pressure.
Fleet growth to 40 aircraft by 2028
Discover Airlines currently operates a fleet of 30 aircraft: 14 long-haul Airbus A330 aircraft and 16 short- and medium-haul Airbus A320 aircraft.
In addition to the four Airbus A350s mentioned above, other aircraft will join the leisure airline’s fleet.
On short- and medium-haul routes, two additional Airbus A320s will be added in 2026. Two more will follow by mid-2028, bringing the total A320 fleet to 20 aircraft.
The fleet also continues to grow on long-haul routes: three Airbus A330-200s are scheduled to be retired in 2026. At the same time, Discover Airlines will put five Airbus A330-300s into service.
This means that by the end of 2026, the long-haul fleet will comprise a total of 16 aircraft, exclusively of the A330-300 type – an aircraft type that is ideally suited for the leisure and private travel segment with its range, capacity and economy.
From 2027, all A330s will be equipped with a next-generation cabin – in all three travel classes.
Bernd Bauer, CEO of Discover Airlines: “With the further development and expansion of our fleet – including the planned use of the Airbus A350 – we are further strengthening our existing offering, with even more comfort and attractive options for our guests.
“Additional aircraft, greater range and a new cabin product enable us to respond even better to the needs of travelers.
“We look forward to flying even more people on holiday in the future and at the same time making an important contribution to strengthening the Lufthansa Group in the holiday and private travel segment.
“Now we have to quickly create the conditions for the integration of the Airbus A350 into the fleet.”
