Lufthansa Restricts Boeing 787 Allegris to Only Four Business Class Seats

COLOGNE- Lufthansa (LH) has been rolling out its new Boeing 787-9 fleet, but currently, only four business class seats are certified for use. This restriction keeps most of the Allegris cabin unavailable as the airline continues to work with regulators to obtain approval for the rest of the seats.

The carrier initially anticipated a quicker approval process, but certification delays have hindered their plans. Recent reports indicate that the timeline for full certification might stretch until 2026.

Challenges with Lufthansa’s 787 Allegris Business Seats

Lufthansa aims to standardize long-haul products with its Allegris cabin, which promises direct aisle access across all business class seats.

The rollout began with the Airbus A350, where business, premium economy, and economy cabins were ready, but first-class implementation took longer. While some progress occurred, the Boeing 787 faced more significant challenges.

The Federal Aviation Administration stipulates that every seat variant must be certified for each aircraft type. Since the Allegris business seats come from three manufacturers, only one variant has passed the certification process for the 787.

This has led to 24 out of 28 seats being non-operational. Lufthansa executives earlier expressed concern that full approval might not be possible, highlighting the gravity of the issue.

Currently, Lufthansa has approximately 15 Dreamliners that are either delivered or in final preparations. Unfortunately, the cabin restrictions limit their operational capability. Given the delays with the Boeing 777X and earlier supply chain issues affecting A350 deliveries, this fleet shortage poses a challenge as demand surges.

Operational Strategy with a Restricted Cabin

Lufthansa started deploying the 787 on long-haul flights to AUS, BOG, HYD, and GIG in October 2025. Unfortunately, only the first row of Allegris’ business suites has been certified. Hence, only four business seats are available for booking.

To optimize utilization, the airline continues to operate these flights as a means to avoid leaving planes idle and ensure they maintain scheduled capacity.

Full cabin sales are anticipated to open by May 1, 2026, assuming that all seat types receive certification by then. However, this date is viewed as an estimate rather than a guarantee, leaving room for further delays that could complicate reservations and operational strategies.

Part of the ongoing issues stem from cost-cutting measures during the pandemic, which affected investments related to product certification, influencing the overall progress of the Allegris program.

Lufthansa remains confident that the unique features of its new product will generate higher revenue than standard market options, although current limitations pose challenges in achieving that goal.

Key Implications for the Allegris Program

This situation underscores the intricacy of implementing a new cabin standard across multiple aircraft models. The transition for the Airbus A350 included interim flights that operated with an empty first-class section.

In stark contrast, the launch of the 787 has been hindered by regulatory challenges that impact almost the entire business class section. Simultaneously, sister airline SWISS is dealing with its own struggles related to the same product on its A330 aircraft, where the weight requirements for first class create significant balancing issues.

With the extended timeline for certification, there is a slowdown in revenue recovery, coupled with reduced flexibility as competition in the long-haul sector escalates.

The upcoming target is to have Allegris’s business seats fully available by May 2026, but current data suggests this should be treated as a goal rather than a firm timeline.