Lufthansa is getting serious about long-haul. The German carrier placed the initial order in 2023. Ten frames at first. Then fifteen. The order grew. The fleet is modernizing. Big time.
Both Airbus and Boeing planes are coming. The first A350 is landing soon. October 2026 feels like a lifetime away until you realize it is already next year. We know the layout now. We know the routes. Let’s look at the details.
Lufthansa’s Massive 15-Plane A350-100 Order
Fifteen aircraft. That is the total number on order.
The rollout starts late 2026. It ends around 2030. This isn’t the only new metal Lufthansa is buying. The group also wants Airbus A350-900. Boeing 787-9 is on the list. Boeing 777-9? Eventually. But the focus right now is that stretched A350.
The first one lands in early October 2010? No, 2026.
It gets special paint. The 100th-anniversary livery. Seven of these planes will wear it. One for each fleet type in the group. The first jet has the registration D-AIFA. It is named “Deutschland.” All Lufthansa planes have names.
This is historic. It is the 700th aircraft delivered to Lufthansa by Airbus. How cool is that? I saw the anniversary Boeing 747-8 at Frankfurt recently. It was stunning. Probably the most beautiful plane in the sky today. This A350 will join that club soon.
Inside the New Allegris A350-100 Configuration
The cabins will be Allegris. New first class. New business class. The layout was a mystery until recently.
AeroTELEGRAPH shared an internal memo. The numbers are clear.
Total seats: 300.
Four cabins. Here is the breakdown:
- 3.5 first class seats. (Yes, half a seat. Don’t ask.)
- 49 business class seats
- 35 premium economy seats
- 212 economy class seats
Compare that to the A350-909. The non-stretched version. It has 267 seats.
- 4 first class
- 38 business class
- 24 premium economy
- 201 economy seats
The difference? 11 seats. 11 in each cabin. Business gets more space. Economy gets more bodies. It is a funny coincidence that the increment is exactly 11 for all three cabins.
First class? Still just one row. Three real seats and a half-row of nothing. It’s fine. Not exciting.
Munich Base and Key A350 Routes
Where will these planes fly from?
Munich. MUC. All Lufthansa A350s are based there.
Service starts with the IATA winter season. Late October 2026.
Initial destinations include:
- Newark (EWR)
- Shanghai (PVG)
- Singapore (SIN)
- Tokyo (HND)
Which one gets the A350 first? The timeline is vague. The schedule will shift.
Chicago (ORD) is fifth. It comes later. Spring 2027 seems likely.
The plane enters passenger service a few weeks after delivery in October 2026.
Final Thoughts on the A350 Rollout
Lufthansa has a plan. 15 planes. 300 seats each. All from Munich.
The 100-year livery looks incredible. The plane is sleek. The interiors are fresh. It is a major upgrade for the carrier’s flagship routes.
Will it change your travel habits? Maybe. If you fly from Frankfurt to Shanghai, you might now fly from Munich. Or maybe not. Routes adjust.
The first plane is D-AIFA. Named Deutschland. 700th delivery.
It is just one jet. But it signals a bigger shift. Long-haul is getting new.
What do you think? More premium economy or more first class? The math suggests neither. Just more of everything.
