Lufthansa has completed the cabin upgrade on the first of its eight Airbus A380 aircraft as part of a wider fleet renewal programme. The German carrier is fitting all eight superjumbos with new business class seats at Elbe Flugzeugwerke in Dresden, and the first aircraft, registered D-AIMC, has already flown with passengers.

The retrofit marks a major step in Lufthansa’s effort to refresh its long-haul premium cabins. The A380 remains one of the biggest aircraft in the airline’s fleet, and the work is aimed at bringing a more modern onboard product to travellers on selected routes.

The programme is being carried out by Elbe Flugzeugwerke, which specialises in aircraft modifications and interior upgrades. Lufthansa has not said when the remaining seven A380s will enter service with the new cabins, but the first completed aircraft shows the project is now under way at full scale.

For passengers, the change is most significant in business class, where Lufthansa is replacing older seats with a new layout and updated product. That should improve comfort on long-haul flights and help the airline keep a consistent premium offer across its fleet.

The A380 retrofit comes as airlines across the world continue to invest in cabin refurbishments after years of delayed aircraft upgrades. Lufthansa is using the Dresden work to modernise some of its largest aircraft while keeping them in service on major international routes.

The airline has made fleet renewal a central part of its strategy, with cabin updates seen as a way to strengthen its long-haul appeal. The completion of the first A380 suggests the wider programme is moving ahead, even as Lufthansa continues to manage a complex fleet of aircraft of different types and ages.