The German airline will first introduce its new business travel class in the Boeing 787 and Airbus A350 in 2023. Lufthansa is now also commenting on retrofitting old jets.
Lufthansa had long planned to launch its new business class with the Boeing 777X. But then it became clear that the new long-haul aircraft would arrive too late and the German airline would first set up new business travel classes in the Boeing 787 and Airbus A350. The group announced only for the year 2022 Feather, Then 2023. For,
Lufthansa boss Carsten Spohr confirmed at the annual press conference on March 3: The first jets with the new business class “arrived in 2023, actually the Boeing 787 and Airbus A350”. The 777X, which is scheduled for first delivery in late 2023, is to follow.
Boeing 747-8 and A350 being retrofitted
When this will happen in 2023 is still unclear. Spohr noted production problems at Boeing and the seat makers, saying: “It changes almost weekly.” As far as Lufthansa first announced product in 2017,
For the first time ever, the CEO also specifically commented on the retrofitting of the existing fleet. Spore said the new business class would “definitely be a Boeing 747-8”. “We’ve already decided that.” After that, the Airbus A350s will be followed, which still has the old product. “For other aircraft, we look at the remaining time in the fleet to decide if the conversion is still worthwhile,” Spohr said.
Four A350s and five Boeing 787s with special features
However, all this does not mean that all Lufthansa passengers in business class 2022 will have to stick to the old product. because for one thing The airline has leased four A350s, which retains the cabin of the former operator Philippine Airlines. “Business class is great”, Spohr said last fall, “It’s not as good as our own, which is coming in 2023, but better than our present.” There is direct aisle access from every seat.
On the other hand, the first five Boeing 787s to join Lufthansa’s fleet from the second quarter of 2022 will receive a transitional product of sorts. Because these jets are so-called whitetails, that is, finished aircraft for which the manufacturer has lost the original customers. Spore now said these 787s don’t have new business class yet, but are a product that is “still an improvement”.
Business class may shrink
Lufthansa is considering making the new business class smaller. CFO Remko Steenburgen said in March 2021: “For example, the number of business class seats in the Airbus A350 could be reduced from 48 to 36.” In return, there will be more seats in premium economy or economy class. However, this is only one option.
Is the plan still in place? “No decision has been made in this regard,” a spokesman told the Aerotelegraph on Friday (March 4). On the other hand, it is clear That subsidiary Swiss will not take such a step,
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