Lufthansa customers can now enjoy a completely new flight experience on short- and medium-haul routes. The Group has now received its first A321neo in Frankfurt, which will be operated by Lufthansa. New on board: a new, improved seat for an even more comfortable travel experience, which is jointly introduced by the three Network Airlines, Lufthansa, SWISS and Austrian Airlines.
The Italian manufacturer Geven clearly won the contract to produce the seat. The comfortable full-structure upholstery of the seat and the backrest ensure a noticeably pleasant sitting experience thanks to ergonomic pressure distribution. Thanks to the innovative slimming of the backrest, guests enjoy even more personal space. This is achieved by the newly developed horizontal arrangement of the literature bag above the table. In addition, travelling is not only more comfortable during the flight, but also during taxiing, take-off and landing: instead of the previous 12 degrees during these three phases, guests travel constantly comfortably with a 20 degree inclination of the backrest; business class guests can even adjust the backrest to 26 degrees during the cruise.
Each row of seats has its own USB ports in the current and future standard, which for the first time in the Lufthansa Group will also be available on short-haul flights. In future, Lufthansa Group passengers will also be able to set up their own tablets even more conveniently. A special column has been inserted into the table to facilitate the tablet holder.
“Many customer feedbacks have been incorporated into the design of the seat. We received a lot of positive feedback on the new features. We are therefore convinced that the new seat and the modern ambience of the cabin will further improve the travel comfort of our guests,” says Paul Estoppey, Head of Product Management Cabin Lufthansa Group Hub Airlines.
Uniform cabin for all Network Airlines
The first A321neo now flies for the first time with a cabin harmonized for all three Network Airlines. The three airline brands Lufthansa, SWISS and Austrian remain clearly recognizable thanks to individual design elements. The standardization applies to all aircraft of the A320 family, which will be delivered to the three hub airlines from now on. The standardization focused on the large, cost-intensive components such as the cabin design and the galleys.
The Airbus A321neo is now configured and unified in such a way that aircraft can be adapted quickly and easily when transferred between Lufthansa Group airlines. This enables the Lufthansa Group to react faster and more flexibly to current developments and to move aircraft and capacities more easily and efficiently to another airline or to another hub. Costs for adjustments and lay times can be significantly reduced. In addition, the standardization will lead to further synergies in aircraft purchasing.
Reduction of CO2 emissions through new engines
In addition to benefits for customers, the reduction of weight and thus CO2 emissions as well as maintenance costs were the focus of development. The Lufthansa Group Airlines expect more than 100 brand-new Airbus A320neo family aircraft by 2025. The newly developed engine technologies from Pratt & Whitney and CFM International as well as the aerodynamic wingtips (sharklets) with which the aircraft are equipped will lead to a significant fuel reduction of up to 20 per cent per seat kilometer. An A320neo taking off has a 50 percent smaller noise contour than other aircraft of this type.