The end of an era is here: on October 18 , Lufthansa (LH/DLH) will permanently retire one of its most iconic four-engine aircraft from service. Flight LH419 is set to mark the end of over 23 years of service for the Airbus A340-600 —a tenure interrupted only by the COVID-19 pandemic. Lufthansa and the A340-600s In December 1997 , Lufthansa placed its first order for Airbus A340-600 aircraft. The German carrier officially became the launch customer for this new Airbus project, which joined its pr