In 2023, Lufthansa Group placed an order for the Airbus A350-1000 — the order was initially for 10 frames, before being increased to 15 frames the following year. The Lufthansa Group is undergoing a massive long haul fleet modernization at the moment, with both Airbus and Boeing planes on the way.
Along those lines, the first Lufthansa A350-1000 will join the fleet in the coming weeks (in a dazzling livery no less), and we now have the exact details of the routes the plane will fly, how the plane will be configured, etc.
Lufthansa has 15 Airbus A350-1000s on order
Between late 2026 and 2030, Lufthansa intends to take delivery of 15 Airbus A350-1000s. This is only one of several aircraft types the airline is acquiring, as it’s also taking delivery of Airbus A350-900s, Boeing 787-9s, and (eventually) Boeing 777-9s.
The expectation is that the first A350-1000 will be delivered around mid-November 2026, with three more planes delivered in the following weeks, before the end of the year. This first plane even features the special 100th anniversary livery, as Lufthansa has seven of these flying, with one representing each fleet type.
The first plane has the registration code D-AIFA, and is named “Deutschland” (since Lufthansa names all of its planes). This is a special plane for another reason, as it will be the 700th aircraft that Airbus has delivered to Lufthansa Group. How gorgeous is this plane?!?
Here’s how Heiko Reitz, Lufthansa’s Hub Manager for Munich, describes this:
“We are proud that the Airbus A350-1000—Airbus’s most modern long-haul aircraft—is coming to Munich. The introduction of the new A350-1000 is part of the largest fleet modernization in the history of the Lufthansa Group and a key driver on the path to more sustainability. Our new flagship features 40 percent more Business and Premium Economy seats. To put it simply: The A350-1000 strengthens our premium hub in Munich.”
On a slight tangent, over the summer I saw the 100th anniversary Boeing 747-8 in Frankfurt (FRA), and I must say, I think it might be the most breathtaking plane in commercial service. Is it just me?
Lufthansa A350-1000s will have 300 seats in four cabins
We’ve known that the Airbus A350-1000s will get the new Allegris cabins, including the new Allegris first class and Allegris business class. So, what can we expect in terms of the configuration? The A350-1000 will feature 300 seats, spread across four cabins, as follows:
- Four first class seats (well, 3.5, really)
- 49 business class seats
- 35 premium economy seats
- 212 economy class seats
As a point of comparison, the A350-900s (the non-stretched version of the plane) features 267 seats, as follows:
- Four first class seats
- 38 business class seats
- 24 premium economy seats
- 201 economy class seats
So the stretched version has 11 more business class seats, 11 more premium economy seats, and 11 more economy seats (11 more seats across three cabins, what a funny coincidence). The airline is still maintaining only one row of first class, which is kind of “bleh.”
You can find the Lufthansa A350-1000 seat map here.
Lufthansa A350-1000 will be based in Munich
Lufthansa Airbus A350-1000s will be based in Munich (MUC), which is where Lufthansa bases all of its A350s. The expectation is that the first plane will enter long haul commercial service as of early December 2026.
Specifically, as of December 3, 2026, the A350-1000 will fly between Munich and Tokyo Haneda (HND), with the next two destinations being Shanghai (PVG) and Singapore (SIN), and those services expected to launch within weeks.
Note that initially the flights won’t be operated by the A350-1000 daily, so there will be alternating service with the A350-900. It’s interesting that the initial route isn’t to North America, where a single plane could do a same day turn, and continuously stay in service. but I guess there’s enough commonality between the A350-900 and A350-1000, so it’s not a big deal.
As far as US destinations go, it’s expected that Chicago (ORD) and Newark (EWR) will be the first two cities to see the new plane, though there’s no exact timeline for that yet.
Bottom line
In 2023, Lufthansa placed an order for the Airbus A350-1000, and the first of these planes is expected to be delivered in mid-November 2026, entering service in early December 2026. The plane will feature 300 seats across four cabins, though still only expect one row of first class seats. The Munich-based plane will initially fly to Tokyo, Shanghai, and Singapore.
I must say, Lufthansa knocked it out of the park with its centennial livery, and I can’t wait to see this plane flying.
What do you make of Lufthansa’s upcoming Airbus A350-1000 deliveries?
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