MUNICH (dpa-AFX) - Lufthansa wants to improve its reputation, which has been tarnished in recent years by delays, strikes and lost suitcases, with 27,000 new seats for long-haul flights and better service. The company wants to offer passengers more comfort with the "Allegris" seats announced years ago, said Lufthansa Airlines CEO Jens Ritter in Munich on Thursday. The first "Allegris" Airbus A350 is now scheduled to take off from Munich for Vancouver on May 1 - Lufthansa's last target was last year. "Our patience has been stretched a little over the last few months and years," said Ritter. Now the company wants to look ahead.

Lufthansa has slipped in recent years in the airline ranking of the British company Skytrax, which is based on passenger surveys. In 2023, the company was only ranked 21st, putting it behind competitors such as Korean Air, Iberia and Fiji Airways. The new seats are to be part of the "biggest product and service offensive in Lufthansa's history".

According to Ritter, two aircraft with the "Allegris" seats are to be delivered every month. The company is primarily targeting the comfort requirements of wealthy passengers who book Business or First Class. However, there are also new seats with a slightly wider pitch for the vast majority of economy passengers.

Lufthansa also wants to offer better service on the ground and on short-haul flights, as explained by Heiko Reitz, Lufthansa's Chief Product Officer. For example, short-haul aircraft are to be equipped with new internet antennas so that passengers can communicate with the outside world during the flight at no extra charge./cho/DP/zb