No it’s not a misprint. It’s true.

Soon Lufthansa will be taking delivery of over 100 A320 neo family aircraft from Airbus.

In the months and years to come these twin-engined planes will be plying Lufthansa’s most important European routes. Some are expected to be reallocated to other Lufthansa Group carriers.

But for some passengers it’s not all good news.

The A320neo aircraft will accommodate 180 passengers or 12 more than the carrier’s existing A320s. Extra seating can be installed thanks to new space-saving layout for the galleys and toilets. Seating is slim-line as with the existing A320s in the Lufthansa fleet.

The good news is that Lufthansa will restore the comfort difference between business and economy class.

As with British Airways, Lufthansa provides the same 76 cms (29.9 inches) of legroom to all passengers whether seated in business or economy class. And this fact, certainly with British Airways, has elicited much negative reader feedback.

So right now the main comfort and space difference between business and economy is that the middle seat in business class is guaranteed unsold.

According to a report in aerotelegraph.com, Lufthansa will restore the difference in legroom, albeit only by a couple of inches.

With its new A320 neo Lufthansa will be providing 81 cms (31.8 inches) of legroom in business but economy class will be trimmed to 71 cms (29.1 inches).

It means that we will have the anomalous situation where a reputable airline offers less economy class room than low-cost Ryanair.

The Irish carrier is said to provide 76 cms (29.9 ins) of legroom and, indeed, on its new B737 Max aircraft it is understood that legroom will be improved to better that seen either in Lufthansa economy or British Airways business/economy class.

That is because Ryanair’s B737 Max aircraft (although they can seat 200 passengers or more) are being limited to 197 seats in total to avoid having to employ an extra crew member.

Who would ever have envisaged such a scenario?

lufthansa.com,

airbus.com