For a couple of years now, we’ve known that Lufthansa plans to introduce new business class cabins on its Airbus A380s. While this project was first supposed to start in 2025, that timeline was ultimately delayed. There’s now an update, as the airline has formally announced when these planes will be retrofitted.
All Lufthansa A380s get new business class by mid-2027
Lufthansa has confirmed plans to introduce a new business class product on its entire fleet of eight Airbus A380s. Rather interestingly, it’s only business class that’s getting new seats, while first class, premium economy, and economy, will remain the same, aside from some minor upgrades (like improved inflight entertainment).
So, when will these planes get new cabins? The first Airbus A380 (with the registration code D-AIMC) will be retrofitted as of February 2026, and is expected to enter service as of April 2026. The plan is that all eight A380s will be reconfigured by mid-2027.
What’s interesting is that Lufthansa isn’t introducing its new Allegris business class on these planes, but instead, is introducing another “off the shelf” product. Specifically, the airline has opted for the Thompson Aero Vantage XL product, which is in a staggered configuration.
Each seat will have direct aisle access, seat width of 58cm, and a bed length of at least two meters. Seats will feature bluetooth connectivity and flexible partitions.
As A380s are reconfigured, the business class cabin will shrink in size by 10 seats, from 78 seats to 68 seats. First class will continue to have eight seats, premium economy will continue to have 52 seats, and economy will continue to have 371 seats.
It’s pretty cool to note how Lufthansa has reversed course on the A380. At the beginning of the pandemic, Lufthansa grounded its fleet of Airbus A380s, and the intent was that these planes would be retired, and would only reenter service “in the event of an unexpectedly rapid market recovery.”
With the strong recovery we’ve seen in transatlantic leisure demand, the airline made the decision to start bringing back Airbus A380s as of the summer of 2023, and eight of the initial 14 are now back in service (six of them were sold). At first, the return of the A380s was mostly described as a temporary measure, in light of delayed Boeing 777-9 deliveries. The airline didn’t commit to keeping these planes around in the long run, though that changed over time.
In recent years it has become clear that the A380 will have a long term place in Lufthansa’s fleet. Clearly this investment in the business class product reflects that. Here’s how Heiko Reitz, Lufthansa Hub Manager for Munich, describes this development:
“Lufthansa operates the only strong A380 fleet in the EU, stationed at our 5-star airport. The retrofit underscores our commitment to providing a top flight experience on the long-haul aircraft that is so popular with our customers. The new premium seats offer more privacy and significantly more comfort than before. We look forward to offering our passengers this enhanced travel experience in Business Class starting in April.
Why are Lufthansa A380s not getting new Allegris cabins?
Lufthansa of course has its new Allegris cabins, including the new Allegris business class and new Allegris first class. These cabins debuted on newly delivered Airbus A350-900s, and we’re also seeing them on newly delivered Boeing 787-9s (though without first class).
So why is Lufthansa not installing its new Allegris seats on the A380s? Well, I’d assume it comes down to a couple of factors. The biggest reason is quite straightforward — Lufthansa has had a really tough time getting its new Allegris business class seats certified, as 787s have been flying around with most business class seats blocked for a long time now.
The idea is that by picking an “off the shelf” product, these seats are already certified, and therefore the airline can actually rely on getting them into service ASAP.
Second of all, I imagine that given the narrower fuselage of the A380 upper deck, it might’ve required even more complicated customization to fit the new Allegris seats up there.
For once, I’d say Lufthansa made a wise decision by just picking a generic product for its A380s. I think the big mystery is why Lufthansa just didn’t do this for its other planes, to avoid this entire mess. Separately, Lufthansa is reconfiguring its Boeing 747-8s, in a complicated two-part process. Initially, we’ll see the new Allegris business class seats on the lower deck, while the same business class seats will remain on the upper deck.
Bottom line
Lufthansa has formally announced plans to introduce a new business class product on its Airbus A380s. The first plane with these cabins should be flying in April 2026, with all eight super jumbos flying by the middle of 2027.
Rather than installing the new Allegris business class seats, the airline is instead installing a more generic product, the Thompson Aero Vantage XL seat, which is a significant improvement over the product you’ll currently find on these jets. As planes are reconfigured, business class capacity will be reduced by 10 seats, from 78 to 68.
Lufthansa sure is all over the place when it comes to modernizing its cabins. Either way, this change is good to see.
What do you make of Lufthansa’s new A380 business class plans?
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