Lufthansa has officially welcomed its first Boeing 787-9 fitted with the highly anticipated Allegris cabin. This aircraft, part of Lufthansa’s broader fleet modernization strategy, is not the first 787 in the fleet, but it is the first to feature Allegris as the carrier’s first five examples were destined for Hainan Airlines and, as such, feature their original configuration.
The Allegris program has been one of the most troubled product rollouts in the airline industry in recent years. Lufthansa originally announced Allegris (which includes new seats in first, business, premium economy, and economy) in 2017 to debut on the 777X in 2020; however, product delays and supply chain shortages meant that Allegris only debuted in 2024. Allegris is currently only sold on select Airbus A350 routes out of Munich, and the 787-9 is the second aircraft type to offer it.
Challenges With Receiving The 787s
Data from Planespotters.net shows that D-ABPF, the 787-9 in question, took its first flight in June 2024. This aircraft has been in storage for over a year, and it’s not the only one, either. It’s expected that Lufthansa will begin taking delivery of several more 787s in the coming weeks, while the five Dreamliners currently in service will eventually be transferred to Austrian Airlines.
The reason these planes have been delayed is due to the Allegris business class seats. While the design is identical to the seats already flying on the Airbus A350-900, the seats are manufactured by two different companies. As such, the seats need to be certified, and what’s more, each type of seat needs to be individually certified (as Allegris’ business class offers multiple types of seats).
Full certification has yet to come through, which has resulted in multiple Dreamliners being placed in storage. Given the prolonged delays, Lufthansa has finally begun accepting the aircraft, although, reportedly, only the front row of the business class cabin is certified and available for sale. The 787s will initially operate short-haul routes, and Lufthansa is aiming to fully certify Allegris on the 787 by the end of the year.
What Does Allegris Bring To The Table
While the business class is the cabin with the most prominent update, Allegris is a full nose-to-tail overhaul, with new seats in first class, business class, premium economy, and economy. The Airbus A350-900 was the first to fly with Allegris, and all future 787-9 deliveries will feature the new cabins.
Lufthansa has not indicated whether the rest of its A350s will be retrofitted, while the five 787s currently flying will be transferred to Austrian. The Airbus A380 fleet will receive a different, off-the-shelf business class seat, while Lufthansa will retrofit the Boeing 747-8 fleet in two phases. Initially, only the lower deck business class cabin will receive Allegris, before a second wave of retrofits will see the rest of the plane receive Allegris seats.
|
Aircraft That Will Feature Allegris |
Aircraft That Will Not Feature Allegris |
|---|---|
|
Airbus A350-900 |
Airbus A330-300 (To be transferred out) |
|
Airbus A350-1000 (Delivery 2026) |
Airbus A340-300 (To be retired) |
|
Boeing 747-8 |
Airbus A340-600 (To be retired) |
|
Boeing 777-9 (Delivery 2026) |
Airbus A380-800 (Will receive different seats) |
|
Boeing 787-9 |
Boeing 747-400 (To be retired) |
Lufthansa’s Allegris business class is a custom design that is most similar to the Safran Optima. It features five different types of seats, with standard seats angled towards the aisles, privacy seats that are flush with the cabin sidewalls, extra space seats in the center of the cabin with no neighboring seats, extra-long bed seats in the center section, and Suites with sliding doors in the front row.
Lufthansa’s Fleet Modernization
Lufthansa has become well-known for operating a diverse set of older aircraft types, as it currently operates the Airbus A330, Airbus A340, Airbus A380, and Boeing 747. It’s the world’s largest operator of the A340 (flying both the A340-300 and A340-600), the only Western carrier to fly the 747-400 in regularly scheduled passenger service, and one of only three airlines to fly the passenger variant of the 747-8.
However, while Lufthansa has been successful with its unique fleet strategy, many of these aircraft are aging and need to be replaced. The Airbus A350-900 has been in the fleet since 2016 and has become an integral part of Lufthansa’s fleet, operating the majority of the carrier’s routes from Munich as well as some flights from Frankfurt.
This example is the first example from Lufthansa’s original order for 787s. It will be based in Frankfurt, and the arrival of more Dreamliners will facilitate the retirement of the A340-300 fleet, while also allowing Lufthansa to transfer its entire A330 fleet to Discover Airlines. In 2026, Lufthansa will use the A350-1000 to replace the A340-600 fleet while the Boeing 777-9 will replace the 747-400s.
