Lufthansa (LH, Frankfurt International) will equip its nascent longhaul budget subsidiary (believed to be named "WorldWings" though this is still subject to official confirmation) with a fleet of A330-300s ahead of its launch in autumn 2015.

During a meeting held on September 17 in which Lufthansa Group's executive board provided an update to the supervisory board, it was revealed that in the initial phase, three A330s will be based at Cologne/Bonn, Düsseldorf or Munich before growing the fleet to seven aircraft.

"The focus here will be on destinations that promise above-average growth in the leisure travel segment and that round out the Lufthansa Group airlines’ current route networks," the German carrier stated.

The board stated that talks with Turkish Airlines (TK, Istanbul Airport) concerning the possible use of their SunExpress (XQ, Antalya) joint-venture were still ongoing and that it was only one of the options currently being explored.

Lufthansa will also forge ahead with plans to refit up to fourteen A340-300s with leisure-oriented cabins featuring 18 Business Class seats, 19 Premium Economy seats and 261 Economy seats. The aircraft will be used on flights to new leisure travel destinations and/or markets from which Lufthansa would otherwise have to withdraw without the introduction of this less expensive offer.

"Commencing with the start of the 2015/2016 winter flight timetable, this A340-300 sub-fleet will fly at a much lower cost while nevertheless offering the high-quality travel experience of a Lufthansa flight, with high service standards and comfort levels," it said.