aero.de has reported that Lufthansa will introduce a new business class for its Airbus A380s as it intends to retain the plane longer than initially expected.
Lufthansa grounded the A380 like most carriers during the global pandemic, going as far as selling units and critical leadership, highlighting the lack of place for the aircraft within the future fleet.
However, as the airline has battled with delays for inbound aircraft types intended to replace the A380s and more, it has been forced to retain the world’s largest passenger plane.
As part of methods to mitigate the impact of not having next-generation aircraft arriving on time, such as Airbus A350s, Boeing 787s and 777Xs, the airline will deploy the A380 in many more cities than initially expected and, by 2025, have all eight current A380s to its name reactivated.
A new business class slated to be installed on the plane is a substantial investment and a fantastic indication of how long the airline will retain the Airus A380.
Typically, an airline won’t look to invest in a plane it sees no long-term future with. While the A380 won’t fly for another two decades, even if it remains active through 2030, the investment in the product should only aid Lufthansa in competing with other airlines in the same space.
The Airbus A380 has been labelled as the comeback kid by some thanks to its recent resurgence in usage across the aviation industry. Many airlines were questioning the plane’s place during the height of the pandemic. However, now it has proven to be an ever-reliable solution to the increases in demand seen at major hubs.
Lufthansa joins the likes of Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways that have returned the aircraft to service following initial resistance.
