Lufthansa's First Boeing 787-9 with Allegris Cabin Takes Flight

Last month, Lufthansa took delivery of its first Boeing 787-9 featuring the long-awaited Allegris cabin. The aircraft is part of the airline’s wider fleet renewal program and is the first 787 in Lufthansa’s fleet to include the new interior. According to data from ch-aviation, the German flag carrier currently operates six Boeing 787-9s and has 29 additional on order, several of which are expected to join the fleet in the coming months.

The Allegris program has been one of Lufthansa’s most delayed product launches. It was initially announced in 2017 and scheduled to debut on the Boeing 777X in 2020. However, its rollout was repeatedly postponed due to certification delays and supply chain challenges, and it eventually entered service in 2024. The new cabin is now available on some of Airbus A350-900s and the latest 787-9.

Lufthansa Launches First Allegris Dreamliner On Frankfurt–Toronto Route

Allegris has been in service on Lufthansa’s Airbus A350-900s from Munich since May 2024 and, according to the airline, has been received extremely well by passengers. More than half a million travelers across all classes have flown on aircraft equipped with the new cabin, with over 90% rating their experience positively. On Thursday, October 9, Lufthansa operated its first Boeing 787-9 flight featuring Allegris, connecting Frankfurt with Toronto.

Looking ahead, the airline plans to extend the product to additional long-haul routes from Frankfurt. According to AeroRoutes, the new 787-9s equipped with Allegris are set to operate select flights to Hyderabad from October 26, Bogotá from October 27, Rio de Janeiro from October 28, and Austin from December 2. The airline expects to receive nine more 787-9s by the end of this year.

Francesco Sciortino, Hub Manager Frankfurt at Lufthansa, said, “Allegris has been enthusiastically received by guests…We are therefore particularly proud that the new premium cabin is now also being used on other routes and above all, from our largest hub.”

Allegris Brings Major Business Class Redesign

Allegris is a complete redesign of Lufthansa’s long-haul cabin and introduces new seats in first, business, premium economy, and economy. The new cabin includes five seat types: standard seats angled toward the aisle, privacy seats positioned along the windows, extra-space seats in the center with no adjacent passenger, extra-long bed seats, and front-row suites with sliding doors. Indeed, the most significant change is in business class, where the airline has adopted a customized layout based on the Safran Optima design.

It is worth noting that the new Boeing 787-9s do not include a first class cabin. These aircraft are configured with 28 business class seats, 28 in premium economy, and 231 in economy. Each business class suite features a 27-inch inflight entertainment screen, personal minibar, wardrobe, and ample storage. However, at present, only a few of the 28 seats in the business class cabin are available, as the rest remain blocked while Lufthansa awaits certification from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Currently, only the front-row suites have received approval. The delay is due to the fact that the Allegris business class seats are produced by three different manufacturers, and each type must be certified separately for every aircraft model. So far, only one of the three seat designs has been approved for the Boeing 787-9. Lufthansa expects full certification to be completed by the end of 2025, which will allow the airline to offer the entire business class cabin as originally intended.

Lufthansa’s A350s Continue Allegris Expansion From Munich

In the coming years, Lufthansa expects the Allegris passenger experience to become standard across its long-haul fleet. For now, the new cabin is limited to recently delivered Airbus A350-900s and Boeing 787-9s. The airline currently operates 30 A350-900s, all based in Munich, nine of which feature the Allegris interior. These aircraft are registered D-AIXR through D-AIXZ, and all future deliveries will include the new cabin.

Currently, the carrier deploys its A350s with the Allegris cabin on long-haul routes from Munich, including Bangalore, Charlotte, Chicago, Newark, San Diego, San Francisco, and Shanghai during the summer schedule. From October 26, at the start of the winter season, these aircraft will operate select flights to Cape Town, Miami, New York JFK, and Tokyo Haneda.

Regarding retrofit plans for its existing A350s, the airline has not yet announced any formal timeline, though the remainder of the fleet is expected to be upgraded in the future. Overall, Lufthansa aims to have around 30 aircraft fitted with Allegris cabins by the end of 2025 and to complete the broader reconfiguration program by 2027.