Lufthansa launches A380 Business Class retrofit with new premium seats

Lufthansa has begun modernising the Business Class cabins of its entire Airbus A380 fleet, marking another milestone in the most extensive fleet renewal programme in the airline’s history. All eight A380s will be fitted with new Business Class seats during a retrofit programme carried out at Elbe Flugzeugwerke (EFW) in Dresden, starting in early February with aircraft “Mike-Charly.”

The new Thompson Aerospace Business Class seats will offer direct aisle access, increased privacy through flexible partitions, a 58 cm seat width, beds of at least two metres, and Bluetooth connectivity. Thanks to an existing certification, Lufthansa can introduce the upgraded cabin without lengthy approval delays, with the first retrofitted A380 expected to enter service from April.

Each A380 will feature 68 new Business Class seats, alongside eight First Class seats, 52 Premium Economy seats, and 371 Economy seats, maintaining the aircraft’s status as the largest long-haul type in Lufthansa’s fleet. The full retrofit of all eight A380s is scheduled for completion by mid-2027, alongside routine maintenance checks during each aircraft’s stay in Dresden.