Lufthansa has announced that it will be unable to offer most of the Business Class seats on its newly delivered Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft. The reason is the ongoing U.S. government shutdown, which has halted certification processes at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
The FAA has not yet approved most of the Business Class seats in Lufthansa’s Dreamliner fleet, and with agency staff on temporary leave, the certification process has come to a complete stop.
Lufthansa is currently operating its first 787-9 on the Frankfurt–Toronto route, but only four out of the 28 Business Class seats can be used. CEO Carsten Spohr had hoped to receive the necessary certifications within a few weeks, but the government shutdown in the United States is expected to further delay the process.
This situation not only affects Lufthansa’s new-generation long-haul product strategy but also delays its efforts to enhance the premium passenger experience.
