COLOGNE— Lufthansa (LH) has commissioned Elbe Flugzeugwerke (EFW) to modernize the business class cabins of its Airbus A380 fleet at Dresden Airport (DRS), with one superjumbo already completed and a second nearing completion.
The conversion runs in parallel with the C-Check inspection to limit downtime. Two additional A380s are being refurbished by Lufthansa Technik in Manila (MNL), while the remaining four aircraft are handled in Dresden (DRS) before returning to service through Munich Airport (MUC), AeroTELEGRAPH reported.
Inside the A380 Cabin Overhaul at EFW
The second aircraft in the program is D-AIMH, registered with the special Lufthansa 100-year livery. Project manager Jens Wurmisch confirmed that around 40 technicians work on the superjumbo in a two-shift system, with a third shift kept as backup for last-minute tasks.
EFW has scheduled six weeks of downtime for each aircraft. The first week involves removing old seats and floor coverings, while technicians simultaneously install new wiring for the entertainment system and in-seat power supply.
The reinstallation phase covers four weeks and includes new seat rails, fresh cabin flooring, and the fitting of the new business class seats. The final week is dedicated to functional testing.
Removing seats from the A380 requires careful planning. Because the seats are too large to pass through the standard service areas, technicians had to dismantle a washroom located in front of the second set of doors. The lavatory is reinstalled after seat installation in a modernized form.
Lufthansa Selects Thompson Aero Seating
Lufthansa chose Thompson Aero Seating for the new business class product. Tim Kaya, cabin fleet manager at Lufthansa, explained that pragmatism guided the decision. Developing a custom seat typically takes four years, and the airline prioritized speed of installation.
The chosen seat is an off-the-shelf product adapted to match the visual identity of the Allegris cabin concept, featuring dark blue upholstery and wood-toned armrests.
The new layout reduces the business class count by ten seats, leaving 58 seats in total. Every seat now offers direct aisle access. A small partition called the Privacy Divider has been added to give passengers more personal space.
The in-flight entertainment headphones are secured to each seat with a screw to prevent theft, while passengers can also pair their own Bluetooth headphones with the new Panasonic system.
Connectivity and Cabin Service Upgrades
The onboard internet has received a notable upgrade. EFW has installed 16 routers across the aircraft to improve connectivity.
The Passenger Service Units (PSUs) above each seat were also adjusted because the oxygen masks now sit in different positions due to the revised seat layout.
Lufthansa has already taken delivery of all Thompson seats required for the full A380 fleet. The seats are stored at an undisclosed warehouse near Frankfurt (FRA). Some original seats will be retained as spare parts donors, while the airline plans to sell the remainder.
Return to Service and Next Steps
The C-Check also covers routine cabin maintenance. Technicians re-cover galley walls and perform deep cleaning during the inspection period. If the schedule holds, D-AIMH will depart Dresden (DRS) for Munich (MUC) on June 5 or 6.
From there, the aircraft will operate either to Delhi (DEL) or Los Angeles (LAX), depending on the schedule.
The next Lufthansa A380 is expected to arrive in Dresden the same day, continuing the cycle of upgrades.
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