Airbus A380 Comeback Continues As Lufthansa Announces New Business Class, Service

22.09.2023 - 00:03 / forbes.com / Carsten Spohr

The Airbus A380 is continuing its improbable comeback with the world’s leading airlines. Last month we got a look at Emirates popular new A380 Premium Economy cabin selected by more than 160,000 flyers. This month, Lufthansa announced that not only would its formerly parked A380 aircraft fly into the 2030s, but that it would upgrade them with a brand-new Business Class cabin.

As Germany is a founding country and key center for Airbus, it’s no surprise Lufthansa was a flagship customer for the A380, purchasing and operating 14 of the enormous aircraft.

However, when the COVID-19 pandemic devastated travel and the airline world, it appeared that Lufthansa was trashing its A380s. In fact, on September 21, 2020, the company announced that all its A380s would be transferred to a long-term storage mode and taken out of planning.

What a difference three years and the abatement of the COVID pandemic means. In June, Lufthansa announced it would reactivate its A380 fleet. At the time, Lufthansa’s Airbus A380s were parked in Spain and France for long-term “deep storage.” While the six older planes have apparently been sold (or returned to Airbus, perhaps for parts cannibalization) eight A380s will return to service.

Lufthansa terminology went from “remain part of the Lufthansa fleet for the time being” to ‘upgrading and potentially flying through the early 2030s.’

As it turns out, Lufthansa showed foresight in not scrapping its A380 fleet. The turnabout came about due to the return of international demand, coupled with delayed delivery of more efficient twin engine widebodies like the Boeing B777-9 and Airbus A350 variants.

"It depends on demand and when Airbus and Boeing are able to deliver other airplanes," Lufthansa Group Chief Executive Carsten Spohr told an aviation website. The big Boeing, for example, is said to be delayed by up to five years.

As for now, Spohr noted that “theeight we own will all be back - including with a new business product.”

The A380 has returned to service out of Munich, flying routes that will maximize the chances of filling as many of its 509 seats as possible. The planes started flying this summer to plug capacity gaps in Lufthansa’s schedule.

Through the end of October, Lufthansa is operating the Airbus A380 daily from Munich (MUC) to Boston (BOS) and from Munich (MUC) to New York (JFK).

Between October 26, 2023, and March 29, 2024,Lufthansa will have dailyA380 service from Munich (MUC) to Los Angeles (LAX)—my home airport. Hmmmh. And between October 28, 2023, and March 29, 2024, Lufthansa’s A380 will fly daily from frigid Munich (MUC) to sizzling Bangkok (BKK).

For spring and summer 2024, Lufthansa’s plan is to deploy six A380’s. There will be daily service from Munich (MUC) to