Lufthansa (LH, Frankfurt International) is facing delays in the delivery of new aircraft and is currently lacking 41 widebodies, Reuters reported citing chief technology officer Grazia Vittadini. She added that the airline will be a launch customer for the B777-9 and is expecting to add the first of these in 2026, confirming recent announcements from Boeing.

The original plans called for the arrival of the first B777-9 in 2020 but the date has slipped several times due to problems with the production and certification of the airliner. According to the CTO, Lufthansa initially expected to take delivery of all twenty B777-9s on order by the end of 2024.

According to ch-aviation fleets data, Lufthansa's widebody orderbook across both manufacturers stands at 83. In addition to the B777-9s, the carrier is also anticipating delivery of thirty-four B787-9s, fourteen A350-900s, and fifteen A350-1000s.

The company's freight arm, Lufthansa Cargo, will add seven B777-8Fs. The cargo airline anticipates even later delivery of aircraft, with the first cargo jet set to arrive in its fleet in 2028.