Lufthansa’s First Allegris 787-9: Welcome Aboard!
Hold onto your hats, aviation enthusiasts! Lufthansa is rolling out the red carpet today for its new Allegris cabins on the Boeing 787-9. Thrilling news, except for one tiny snag: the business class seats are in a bit of a pickle waiting for green lights. Let’s unravel the jet-fueled excitement and slight turbulence.
Lufthansa’s Allegris Dreamliners Bound for Frankfurt!
In its quest to present a rejuvenated long-haul fleet, Lufthansa is introducing 34 sparkling new Boeing 787-9s. Imagine that! While the airline boasts five Dreamliners in its current lineup, they’re rocking what you’d call “non-standard interiors.” These interiors have seen life’s runway with Hainan Airlines before Lufthansa swooped in for a savvy purchase. They’re slated to eventually find a home with Austrian Airlines as part of the Lufthansa Group’s ever-growing family.
The 34 upcoming Dreamliners come decked out with Lufthansa’s new Allegris interiors. Fancy, right? It’s the grand debut for the new business class alongside a redefined premium economy and economy class. Sadly, these birds won’t have a first-class section. All future Allegris beauties will park themselves primarily in Frankfurt and embark on long-haul adventures.
Here’s the scoop: Lufthansa has a dozen 787s geared up and raring to go, but bureaucratic shackles have grounded them, thanks to certification limbo. But lo and behold, a breakthrough! As we speak, Lufthansa is taking delivery of its pioneer Allegris 787, affectionately registration-coded D-ABPF. This bird’s already got some mileage under its wings, being a year-old veteran of the skies.
Flight alert: this aircraft’s set to make its voyage from Everett to Frankfurt, tagged as flight number LH9789. Departing this afternoon with gleaming confidence, it’ll grace Frankfurt’s tarmac by tomorrow morning, ticking off 5,081 miles on its stellar resume. Expect a flurry of similar deliveries in the weeks ahead as storage doors fly open.
A Complicated Entry into Service
Buckle up, because Lufthansa’s first custom-built Boeing 787-9 isn’t going to have a smooth runway entry. In a classic case of air turbulence, Lufthansa is wrestling regulatory giants to get business class seats on these aircraft certified. No easy feat.
Some of these Dreamliners gather dust, grounded for over a year due to red tape, yet Lufthansa pushes ahead bravely to take delivery anyway. It’s a classic “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” scenario. The fleet should start its European tour in the upcoming weeks before revving up for transatlantic flights by October.
Here’s the kicker: only four out of the 28 business class seats are open for passenger booking. Yes, you read that right. That’s because only the high society seats in the first row have the green light. The rest? They’ll stay empty until certification comes through. Optimistically, Lufthansa hopes these hurdles will clear by the year-end, but that’s anyone’s guess. For now, those lovely seats are just along for the ride, like tourists going up the slopes of the Val Seny ski resort in France.
Bottom Line
Today is the first page of a new chapter for Lufthansa as it embraces its first Boeing 787-9 decked out with Allegris interiors. Hip-hip-hooray! Yet, most business class seats remain uncertified, leaving Lufthansa with a headache slightly more gnarly than jet lag.
It’s quite the uphill battle Lufthansa faces, akin to climbing the steepest peak at Val Seny ski resort. Nonetheless, every delivery nudges the airline a step closer to its ultimate goal. Long have we awaited the doubled presence of Allegris long-haul flyers, and certified cabins would be a sight for sore eyes.
What do you say: is Lufthansa’s Allegris Boeing 787 debut a runway hit, or are they facing some rough air?