Lufthansa's Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners Grounded Due to FAA Business Class Seat Delays
Lufthansa's plans for its new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners have hit a snag due to delays in the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) certification process for the Business Class suites. Around 15 Dreamliners are currently grounded, awaiting the green light for their premium cabins.
The FAA has so far certified only four Business Class suites at the front of the cabin, with concerns raised from crash testing for the remaining seats. Lufthansa has been flying its first Allegris-equipped Boeing 787 between Frankfurt and Toronto since October 9, but with 85% of its Business Class cabin blocked out due to the certification delays.
The US government shutdown has further hindered the FAA's certification work, leading to a minor delay in Lufthansa's plans. Despite this, Lufthansa started taking delivery of Dreamliners before the certification was complete, with 24 of 28 Business Class seats initially blocked on the first aircraft. The first of Lufthansa's 10 expected Dreamliners was inaugurated into the fleet at Frankfurt Am Main Airport on Tuesday.
In the coming months, Lufthansa plans to deploy the 787-9 on routes from Frankfurt to Rio de Janeiro, Bogotá, Hyderabad, and Austin. However, these plans may be subject to change depending on the progress of the FAA's certification process for the Business Class suites.
