Austrian Airlines has entered the final weeks of its Boeing 767 era. The Vienna-based carrier has sold its last three 767-300ERs for parts, has already retired one of them from passenger service, and expects its final scheduled 767 flight to land in Vienna on December 1, 2026, closing a 38-year chapter that began with Lauda Air.
The latest update on the retirement was published by AvioRadar on October 10, building on details the airline gave to Aviation Week, ch-aviation and Austrian Wings in late September.
Sold for parts in the United States
Austrian has sold its three remaining Boeing 767-300ERs, registered OE-LAE, OE-LAY and OE-LAZ, to U.S.-based Cobra Aviation, which will use them for parts recovery. An airline official told Aviation Week that the purchase price is confidential and that all three aircraft will be transferred to Arizona.
OE-LAZ was the first to go. According to Austrian Wings, it flew its last commercial service as flight OS55 from Vienna to Montreal on September 26 and landed back in Vienna on the morning of September 27. Austrian said the aircraft is scheduled to be ferried to the United States during October. The other two jets will follow toward the end of the year.
The final flight
That leaves OE-LAE and OE-LAY to carry on through the autumn. Austrian confirmed to ch-aviation that, as things stand, the last scheduled Boeing 767 flight will land at Vienna airport on December 1, 2026.
Austrian Wings reported that the final departure from Vienna is expected on November 30 and that the destination will very likely be in the United States, with Washington mentioned as the probable route. The airline has not yet decided which of the two remaining aircraft will operate the last flight.
In their final years the 767s have mainly served North American routes. They seat 211 passengers across business class, premium economy and economy.
A link to Lauda Air
The 767 story in Austria began in 1988, when Lauda Air took delivery of its first example. Aviation Week reports that a total of nine 767s operated for Austrian over 38 years and that all of them were originally ordered by Lauda Air, which became part of the Austrian group.
One of the best-known aircraft was OE-LAW, which was retired after the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021. Michael Umgeher, head of the long-range fleet at Austrian Airlines, told Aviation Week that at the time of its retirement it was the 767 with the most flight hours worldwide, with more than 137,000 operating hours.
For many passengers and spotters in Vienna, the retirement removes one of the last tangible links to Lauda Air's long-haul history.
Boeing 787-9 takes over
The successor is the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. Austrian introduced its first two 787-9s in 2024, and a third entered scheduled service on June 1 this year. Aviation Week reports that the airline will receive its fifth 787-9 later this year and expects seven 787s to be in service in summer 2027.
Under the published plan, Austrian's entire long-haul fleet will be made up of 12 Boeing 787-9s by the end of the 2028/2029 winter schedule. The Dreamliners are replacing both the 767s and the airline's six Boeing 777-200ERs, which are expected to be gone by 2029.
Moving to a single long-haul type should simplify pilot training, maintenance and spare parts, while the 787's lower fuel burn helps reduce operating costs at a time when fuel prices remain a major pressure for European airlines.
Part of a wider Lufthansa Group clean-out
The 767 farewell comes in the same autumn that Lufthansa is retiring its Airbus A340-600 fleet from passenger service, as the Lufthansa Group works to cut the number of older aircraft types in its fleets.
For Austrian, though, October is only another step rather than the definitive goodbye. Travelers who want one last flight on an Austrian 767 have until the end of November to book a long-haul trip that is still scheduled on the type, although aircraft assignments can change at short notice.
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