Lufthansa has announced the “most extensive fleet renewal in its history,” revealing plans to upgrade seating on its Airbus A380s, A350-900s and Boeing 747-8s.
On January 30, 2026, Lufthansa shared photos of new premium business class seats that will be retrofitted on all six of its Airbus A380 superjumbos.
The retrofit will take place at Elbe Flugzeugwerke in Dresden, with the program scheduled to begin in February 2026. Lufthansa’s ‘Mike-Charly’ will be the first A380 to be upgraded.
Each new A380 business seat will have direct aisle access, offer a seat width of 58 cm, a bed length of at least two meters, Bluetooth connectivity, and flexible partitions. The A380 will feature seats made by Northern Ireland-based Thompson.
“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,” said Heiko Reitz, Hub Manager at Munich, Lufthansa Airlines.
He added: “We look forward to offering our passengers this enhanced travel experience in Business Class starting in April.”
While at Elbe Flugzeugwerke, each A380 will also undergo routine maintenance work, with the first aircraft due to be completed by April 2026. By mid-2027, all eight A380s are expected to be fully retrofitted.
Following the upgrade, each A380 will feature 68 new business class seats. Lufthansa’s A380 cabins currently include eight first class seats, 52 seats in premium economy, and 371 seats in standard economy.
Among other upgrades given the go-ahead, Lufthansa’s Boeing 747-8s and Airbus A350-900s are to receive new seats across all classes.
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