In a tacit admission that the Airbus A380 is going to hang around a little longer than planned, Lufthansa is preparing an upgrade programme for its business class product.
Interestingly, this upgrade is not being referred to as an Allegris upgrade, but rather just an equipment upgrade.
For the launch of this Retrofit programme, the Airbus A380-800 will be equipped with new Business Class seats starting in February at Elbe Flugzeugwerke (EFW) in Dresden.
The A380 will feature Business Class seats from Thompson Aerospace, with the VantageXL being used.
Each seat will have direct aisle access and offer a seat width of 58 cm, a bed length of at least two meters, Bluetooth connectivity, and flexible partitions, providing both comfort and privacy.
Lufthansa is at pains to point out that they are relying on an existing certification for this cabin upgrade, eliminating the need for a lengthy approval process. As a result, passengers will be able to enjoy the new Business Class onboard Lufthansa’s A380 within just a few weeks.
The newly configured Airbus A380 will feature 68 new Business Class seats. In addition, there will be eight First Class seats, 52 seats in Premium Economy, and 371 seats in Economy. Even though the type is sidelined to operate out of Munich, it remains the largest and highestest capacity passenger carrying aircraft in Lufthansa’s fleet.
Further retrofits of the existing fleet will follow in close succession.
The airline is also modernising its cabin interiors with Boeing 747-8 and Airbus A350-900, which will receive new seats across all classes as part of the Allegris programme.
In Quotes
Heiko Reitz, Hub Manager Munich, Lufthansa Airlines:
“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.”
Timeline
As well as the Business Class retrofit, Elbe Flugzeugwerke will be conducting routine maintenance work on the A380 aircraft during their stay.
After completing the checks, the first aircraft is scheduled to return to Munich in April this year and will be deployed in regular service. By mid-2027, all eight A380s are expected to be fully retrofitted.
It’s good to see this fleet get a mid-life upgrade, which adds to Lufthana’s backlog as the group works on its fleet upgrades – be it the late-running Allegris project, Edelwiess and Discover Airlines’ new cabins – with the three new announcements all going down the line of the VantageXL and VantageXL+
Some good things ahead. You’re just going to have to wait for them to arrive aboard the aircraft.
Yes. It’s a bit late. The backlog this week is biting.
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