On course for growth: Discover Airlines significantly expands its fleet and plans to operate Airbus A350 aircraft

• By mid-2028: Fleet to grow to 40 aircraft
• From 2027: Gradual introduction of four Airbus A350-900s planned
• 2026: Long-haul fleet to grow to 16 Airbus A330-300s
• Short- and medium-haul fleet to grow to 20 Airbus A320 aircraft by 2028

Discover Airlines, the Lufthansa Group's leisure airline, is continuing its growth trajectory and expanding its fleet to 40 aircraft by mid-2028. The future flagship of the long-haul fleet is set to be the state-of-the-art Airbus A350-900. From mid-2027, the plan is to gradually integrate four of these particularly efficient and comfortable aircraft into 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 leisure destinations that cannot be reached with the current fleet, such as South and Central America, southern Africa, and Southeast Asia.

The Airbus A350 will allow Discover Airlines to take a major step forward in the 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 fuel than previous models, flies particularly quietly, and is largely made of lightweight composite materials – for greater efficiency and noticeably higher cabin comfort thanks to improved humidity and lower cabin pressure.

Fleet growth to 40 aircraft by 2028

Discover Airlines currently operates a fleet of 30 aircraft: 14 Airbus A330 long-haul aircraft and 16 Airbus A320 short- and medium-haul aircraft. In addition to the four Airbus A350s mentioned above, further aircraft will be added to the leisure airline's fleet.

Two additional Airbus A320s will be added to the short- and medium-haul fleet in 2026. Two more will follow by mid-2028, bringing the total A320 fleet to 20 aircraft.

The long-haul fleet will also continue to grow: three Airbus A330-200s are scheduled to be retired in 2026. At the same time, Discover Airlines will take five Airbus A330-300s into service. By the end of 2026, the long-haul fleet will comprise a total of 16 aircraft, all of which will be A330-300s – an aircraft type that is ideally suited to the holiday and private travel segment thanks to 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 deployment 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 will enable us to respond even better to the needs of travelers. We look forward to flying even more people on vacation in the future, while at the same time making an important contribution to strengthening the Lufthansa Group in the leisure and private travel segment. Now it is time for us to quickly create the conditions for integrating the Airbus A350 into our fleet."