Press release —
Discover Airlines announces first Airbus A350 destinations
- First Airbus A350-900 to join the fleet in June 2027
- Orlando or Calgary planned as first long-haul destinations
- Starting in December 2027: San José and Belize City with the A350
According to current plans, the first Airbus A350-900 will join the Discover Airlines fleet in June 2027.
Before the aircraft is deployed on long-haul routes, it will fly on a high-frequency short-haul route for training purposes during its first few weeks.
It will then be deployed on an established long-haul route from Frankfurt with several weekly flights, likely to Calgary or Orlando. With up to daily flights, both routes are well-suited for the introduction of the new aircraft type: they enable stable flight operations with minimal additional complexity, while also offering passengers a consistent flight experience.
With the planned addition of the second A350 to the fleet in December 2027, new destinations will be added: Starting December 14, 2027, Discover Airlines will take over the route from Frankfurt to San José, Costa Rica, and increase the frequency from five to six weekly flights to Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO). Two of the six weekly flights will be operated as so-called triangular flights with a connecting flight from San José to Belize City (BZE). Belize City is a new addition to the leisure airline's flight schedule. The route to San José was previously operated by Lufthansa.
The third and fourth A350s are scheduled to join the fleet in the summer of 2028. The flights will be updated in the system over the coming months and designated as A350 routes.
The A350 as the next step in expanding the long-haul fleet
Discover Airlines currently operates 15 Airbus A330-300s. Just this week, the airline retired its last remaining Airbus A330-200, which was about 22 years old. This move reduces fleet complexity and lays the groundwork for a more consistent travel experience.
With the Airbus A350-900, Discover Airlines is adding one of the world’s most modern wide-body aircraft to its fleet. Thanks to its long range, the airline will in the future be able to serve holiday destinations that are currently out of reach with its existing fleet—such as those in South and Central America, Southern Africa, or Southeast Asia.
By mid-2028, the long-haul fleet is expected to grow to a total of 20 aircraft, including the four A350s that are currently still flying for Lufthansa out of Munich. In the following years, nine additional A350-900s are scheduled to be added, gradually replacing the A330-300s.
In addition, Discover Airlines will equip one Airbus A330-300 with the new long-haul product, Ocean Blue, next year—presumably on a monthly basis.
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About Discover Airlines
Discover Airlines is the Lufthansa Group's leisure airline in Germany, flying travelers from Frankfurt and Munich to the most beautiful holiday destinations in the world. A cutting-edge product tailored to the needs of leisure travelers and the crew’s welcoming service, make flying with Discover Airlines a real pleasure. Since the summer of 2021, Discover Airlines has complemented the Lufthansa Group's offering in the growing segment of leisure travel. Guests benefit from an end-to-end booking process and seamless transfers at the Frankfurt and Munich hubs as well as at many global destinations of the Lufthansa Group and its partner airlines. Discover Airlines is headquartered in Frankfurt, currently operates a fleet of 33 aircraft and employs around 2,200 people. The flights can be booked on discover-airlines.com, via all booking channels and websites of the Lufthansa Group, and in travel agencies.