Why Will Lufthansa’s New 787 Dreamliners Fly With Empty Business Class Cabins?

Lufthansa, the German flag carrier, has announced that it will begin operating its newly delivered Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft with empty business class seats. Why? There’s still a key step pending before the business class seats can be put to use. Here’s what it is. 

Lufthansa Dreamliners To Fly With Empty Business Class Seats

The Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners from Lufthansa, a major German aviation group and the country’s flag carrier, will now fly without any passengers in business class. According to a report by Aviation A2Z, these business class seats are still awaiting FAA certification from the US.

Lufthansa has 34 of these Dreamliners lined up to replace its ageing Airbus A330-600 fleet. The first set of aircraft was expected to be delivered by the end of 2024, but due to issues with the business class seating, the timeline has been delayed. The airline had originally planned to start operating these planes on routes such as Frankfurt to Montreal by September 2025.

Also Read: How Did A Lufthansa Flight Fly For 10 Minutes Without A Pilot?

15 New Aircraft Still Grounded

According to the same report, at least 15 of these aircraft, each costing millions, have already been built and are waiting at the manufacturer’s unit. But due to the certification delay, they remain non-operational.

This fresh fleet was built with a brand-new business class cabin that’s been in development since 2017. Despite years of planning, it didn’t debut until May 2024 due to repeated setbacks and challenges. The business class cabin is part of Lufthansa’s bespoke Allegris product, which features five different seat types designed to meet varying passenger needs.

However, its non-standard layout has reportedly led to delays in FAA certification. Although European regulators have approved the Allegris seats, the FAA requires additional crashworthiness tests before giving its nod.  The seats are currently under re-evaluation. 

You would also like to know that the Allegris in the Dreamliner aircraft promise full aisle access for every seat and include everything from private single suites to lie-flat beds. Each seat type offers a different combination of space, privacy, and storage. But even after over seven years of development, the business class project remains incomplete.

Also Read: Lufthansa Flight To Hyderabad Returns Mid-Air After Bomb Scare, Despite Entering Indian Airspace

With the delay in the certification, Lufthansa has now decided to fly the aircraft with an empty business class cabin. 

Cover Image Courtesy: Lufthansa, Wikipedia/ TJDarmstadt