Lufthansa is about to put its biggest, most premium Airbus into the sky. The German airline's first A350-1000 — named Deutschland — enters commercial service on December 3, 2026, flying from Munich to Tokyo Haneda as flight LH714, departing at 12:55 PM and landing the next morning at 9:15 after a 12-hour, 20-minute hop.
The aircraft arrives in Munich from Airbus's Toulouse plant in mid-November, becoming the 700th Airbus delivered to the Lufthansa Group. It will wear the airline's centenary livery — a giant white crane on a blue fuselage that took 432 litres of blue and 246 litres of white paint — and it is the seventh plane to carry the anniversary scheme.
After Tokyo, the type rotates to Singapore Changi on December 12 and Shanghai Pudong on December 18. December's schedule includes 11 Munich–Tokyo departures, four to Singapore and two to Shanghai. Because these routes already run daily with the smaller A350-900, passengers should expect the two variants to alternate rather than a straight swap.
Why flyer types should care is the cabin. The A350-1000 seats 300 across four classes: four Allegris First suites, 49 Business, 35 Premium Economy and 212 Economy. Against the 283-seat A350-900s currently on these routes, that is 40 percent more Business and Premium Economy seats — and, notably, First Class returns to these routes, with two individual suites plus a central Suite Plus for one or two travellers. Business Class gets eight private suites with fully flat beds, and Premium Economy gains a proper dedicated cabin (35 seats versus 21 on the smaller jet).
The arrival also closes a chapter. Lufthansa's A340-600 flew its final commercial flight earlier this month, and the A340-300s and Boeing 747-400s will be gone by 2027. The A350-1000 and the long-delayed 777-9 are the centrepiece of the replacement plan. Lufthansa has 15 on firm order, the first ten based in Munich, with deliveries through 2030 and options for 25 more — so the fleet could eventually reach 40.
For travellers, the practical takeaway: from early December 2026, booking a Munich–Tokyo, Singapore or Shanghai fare may get you Lufthansa's newest flagship and a shot at Allegris First. If that matters, watch the flight number when booking — at least in the early months, it's a coin flip between the -900 and -1000.
