Discover Airlines has completed the phaseout of its Airbus A330-200 fleet after aircraft D-AXGE operated its final scheduled flight for the Lufthansa Group leisure carrier. The aircraft landed at Frankfurt Airport at 06:30 on 28 October from Philadelphia as flight 4Y051, leaving Discover’s long-haul operation based entirely on 15 Airbus A330-300s.
D-AXGE was the last of three A330-200s operated by Discover during the past five years. It entered service with the airline on 24 July 2021 and was approximately 22 years old at retirement. The other two aircraft, D-AXGB and D-AXGF, had already left active service; D-AXGB completed its final Orlando rotation on 10 October, while D-AXGF has been parked at Tarbes-Lourdes-Pyrénées Airport in France since February.
The three aircraft were among Discover’s first airframes and retained their original Eurowings Discover livery because repainting was no longer considered worthwhile. Their retirement simplifies and standardises the airline’s long-haul fleet around the larger A330-300, reducing operational variation between aircraft types.
All three A330-200s are scheduled to be handed back to lessor AerCap at Tarbes-Lourdes-Pyrénées. AerCap’s plans for their subsequent deployment, storage, sale or dismantling have not been disclosed.