BERLIN- Lufthansa Group is in advanced discussions with Boeing to introduce larger Business Class cabins on some of its upcoming Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners as the German aviation group responds to growing demand for premium travel. The proposal could increase the number of premium seats on selected aircraft and give the airline more capacity on long-haul routes where its existing configuration falls short of demand.
Chief Executive Officer Carsten Spohr outlined the plans during a media conference on November 3, 2026, following the group’s quarterly results presentation. Lufthansa (LH) is also examining changes to its Premium Economy and Business Class layouts as it prepares to receive additional widebody aircraft and expand its long-haul operations.
Lufthansa Reviews 787 Cabins
The airline currently operates Boeing 787-9 aircraft with different cabin configurations, reflecting the aircraft’s delivery history and planned fleet allocation.
Three Dreamliners originally intended for Hainan Airlines feature 26 Business Class seats, 21 Premium Economy seats and 247 Economy Class seats, although Lufthansa plans to transfer these aircraft to Austrian Airlines (OS).
The remaining Lufthansa 787-9s feature the airline’s Allegris cabin, with 28 Business Class seats, 28 Premium Economy seats and 231 Economy Class seats. However, three Business Class seats remain unavailable because they are awaiting certification from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Spohr said Lufthansa hopes to secure approval for the remaining seats before the end of 2026. The airline has already made 25 of the 28 Allegris Business Class seats available for passengers, following earlier progress in the certification process.
Premium Demand Drives Changes
Lufthansa’s interest in larger premium cabins comes as demand for Business Class and Premium Economy continues to strengthen.
The airline has sometimes deployed its Boeing 787-9 aircraft on routes originally intended for larger Airbus A350-1000 and Boeing 777-9 aircraft, creating a capacity mismatch in its premium cabins.
Spohr indicated that the Dreamliner’s existing Business Class capacity does not always match the number of seats the airline could sell on these routes. The arrival of the Airbus A350-1000 is expected to provide additional capacity, with the aircraft featuring 49 Business Class seats.
The airline is also considering removing some Economy Class rows and replacing them with additional Premium Economy seats. Spohr said the intermediate cabin has performed strongly, making a higher allocation of seats commercially attractive.
Expanding Business Class would involve more complicated changes than adjusting Premium Economy. Nevertheless, Lufthansa has entered advanced discussions with Boeing about receiving some of its future 787 aircraft with larger Business Class cabins.
26 Dreamliners Pending
The Lufthansa Group also has a substantial number of Boeing 787-9 deliveries remaining. According to the delivery figures cited by the airline, the group expected 27 additional Dreamliners at the end of September 2026, Aero Telegraph flagged.
Following the delivery of one aircraft in October, another 26 Boeing 787-9s remain to be delivered. These aircraft provide an opportunity for Lufthansa to introduce revised cabin configurations as it expands its long-haul fleet.
The airline has not disclosed how many incoming Dreamliners could receive the larger Business Class layout or how many additional seats the revised configuration would contain.
However, the advanced discussions with Boeing indicate that Lufthansa is exploring ways to align its aircraft capacity more closely with the growing demand for premium international travel.
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