Boeing 777-9 or Airbus A350-1000? Lufthansa is said to currently be weighing that very question, like many of its peers. But its choice between the two aircraft, which represent the latest advancements in the widebody space, is set to be based on more than just which manufacturer can offer the best deal or which is the most ideal fit for its fleet. Lufthansa’s decision will represent something deeper.

Lufthansa, through what is expected to be a major order for either aircraft, could send a very clear message to the industry on its stance on Boeing and the embattled Boeing 777X program. The pressing question is: Is Lufthansa really about to kick the 777X to the curb?

Does Lufthansa Now Favor A350-1000 Over 777-9?

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Lufthansa chief executive Carsten Spohr reportedly told staff last month that the airline was to launch a competition between manufacturers for new widebody aircraft next year. This “big campaign,” as he dubbed it, would circle around securing additional Airbus A350-1000s or Boeing 777-9s for delivery from 2033, according to Aviation Week magazine.

No specification was given on the size of the order. However, Spohr did flag during the internal meeting that the order would only be for one of the two aircraft types, per reports. This meant that Lufthansa was, in one sense, planning to pit Boeing and Airbus against each other. Why is this important? Because up until now, the German carrier had appeared content with gradually building an order book that included both.

But there is another metaphorical elephant in the room. Lufthansa, which is in the midst of the largest fleet renewal in its history, did not even consider the A350-1000 under such a plan originally. Delays within the 777X program have put a spanner in the works as Lufthansa has attempted to enact the shift in recent years. The prospect of the carrier brushing off the 777-9 entirely in its next bulk order may well mean it has finally had enough of Boeing’s antics.

Lufthansa Already Improvising On Back Of Boeing Delays

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Chances are, Lufthansa had had enough long before this point. We all know of the well-publicized issues within Boeing’s 777X program, the most poignant being that it is now at least seven years overdue and yet to be fully certified. Improvisation has become key at Lufthansa as a result.

Lufthansa, having originally sought the Airbus A350-900, Boeing 787-9, and 777-9 for the purpose of modernizing its portfolio of aircraft, finally caved in 2023 and ordered 10 of the larger A350-1000 variants from Airbus. Then, the following year, this was buoyed to 15. Ongoing setbacks in the 777X program meant an alternative would be needed to bridge the gap in deliveries that were first expected back in 2020. As such, Lufthansa turned to the A350-1000 arguably out of necessity, and not by choice.

Lufthansa Group totals orders as of 2025-end:

*Further widebody orders placed since

There is a sense of irony in there that Boeing’s own struggles ultimately handed its biggest competitor a win. That is, a win worth billions upon billions of dollars, with the five A350-1000s bought in 2024 alone having had a list price of “around” $2 billion at the time, as Lufthansa wrote. Unfortunately for Boeing, though, the nature of its relationship with Lufthansa means things could be about to get far worse.

Lufthansa’s Rejection Would Be Damning For Boeing

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The ugly truth is that a move towards the A350-1000 would signal an ultimate rejection of the 777X by Lufthansa for the time being. Boeing’s years-long attempt to bring out an aircraft to serve as the flagship of carriers’ fleets is being effectively brushed aside. That is not great. Is the move coming from the first airline to fly the aircraft? Now, that would be damning.

Indeed, Lufthansa is on course to be the launch customer when the 777X finally makes its way to airlines. Having placed its initial order back in 2013 as the program was unveiled, Boeing chief executive Kelly Ortberg firmed up early last year that Lufthansa would take the first delivery. All of that means that Lufthansa, if it does opt for the A350-1000, could shun the 777-9 before having even got its hands on one.

That said, there would be a caveat to such a decision by Lufthansa. Naturally, the 777-9 and A350-1000 are two entirely different aircraft, and the truth is that Boeing and Airbus developed them out of contrasting ideas. Therefore, for Lufthansa, the complication is that it is picking between aircraft with completely different strengths.

Are the 777-9 And A350-1000 Actually Interchangeable?

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Depending on whether it goes for the 777-9 or the A350-1000, Lufthansa will have to cope with the pros and cons of that specific model. Namely, these will be in terms of capacity and range. Both Boeing and Airbus developed the variants and wider families with efficiency and so economics for airlines in mind. But it is in capacity and range that they are really separated.

According to Airbus, the A350-1000’s range maxes out at 9,000 nautical miles (16,668 km). Specialist ultra-long-range variants aside, that makes the A350-1000 one of the longest-range aircraft today. Boeing’s 777-9 will be capable of traveling up to 8,000 nautical miles (14,820 km) in the meantime, so the difference is stark. But for that additional range, Lufthansa might well have to sacrifice capacity. Typical two-class layouts for the 777-9 and A350-1000 are said to fit 426 and 369 seats, respectively, for instance.

Select Boeing 777X and Airbus A350 XWB specifications from manufacturers’ data:

There are other factors at play, too. The A350-1000 entered commercial service in 2018, so airlines have long since been able to pass their own judgment on its accolades. Lufthansa also already operates the A350-900 in varying three-class configurations, so its larger counterpart would be far more of a known quantity for the airline. By opting for the 777-9, though, Lufthansa would get priority on delivery slots when it is eventually certified. All of this leaves Lufthansa’s board with a heap of questions to ask itself.

Routes, Bases, Further Delays All Considerations For Lufthansa

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Clarity from Spohr that the order will specifically be for either the 777-9 or A350-1000 means we can infer that the airline intends to use whichever one similarly. That is, premium-heavy long-haul routes, for which the A350-900 is already in use by Lufthansa. Where either would be based depends on the model, as well as when the airline can get its hands on them, of course.

Any additional A350s would likely be split between the carrier’s two major hubs of Frankfurt Airport (FRA) and Munich International Airport (MUC), given how Lufthansa uses those already within its fleet. A 777X order would probably see the aircraft solely positioned at Frankfurt instead, based on Aviation Week’s report. Luckily, we will not have to wait long for confirmation from Lufthansa.

Spohr also flagged to staff in the internal meeting that the airline was expecting its first A350-1000 from Airbus in October 2026. While this would be earlier than previously anticipated, it also means the model should arrive at Lufthansa before the first 777-9. As it stands, Boeing is targeting early 2027 for the 777X’s initial rollout. Whether the manufacturer can meet this, well, therein lies the million – or more like several billion – dollar question.

Boeing’s Final Chance For 777X At Lufthansa?

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There is little doubt a pattern of sorts has formed. Boeing publicizing another setback in its 777X program has increasingly come to mean Lufthansa looking elsewhere. Lufthansa has, in fact, already penned a widebody deal this year, encompassing ten A350-900s and ten 787-9s. The difference with the German company’s impending order is that it has effectively handed Boeing an ultimatum.

By setting spring 2027 for its competition, Lufthansa has linked this with the timeline for 777X Extended-range Twin-engine Operations Performance Standards (ETOPS) certification. Boeing’s Ortberg has himself acknowledged that deliveries will not proceed without this. So, whether the certification is secured or the 777X program faces yet another setback is, in reality, massive. It is only at this point that we will really be able to gauge Lufthansa’s next move, and most importantly, whether the airline will decisively turn its back on Boeing’s latest offering for the foreseeable future, or stick by the embattled manufacturer.