Airbus has announced that Lufthansa will be the first retrofit customer for its spacious Airspace L Bins, which were launched earlier this year. From January 2025, 38 of Lufthansa’s A320 aircraft fleet will be refitted with these overhead shelf-style stowage bins, which Airbus says will provide 60% more bag capacity than the previous-generation A320 pivot bins, equating to space for around three extra bags per bin. The L Bins can accommodate bags that are up to 61cm in height, 38cm in width and 25cm in depth.
L Bins are designed to be retrofitted in three to five days, making them Airbus’s fastest and most cost-effective A320 retrofit stowage solution, minimising aircraft downtime for Lufthansa. The added stowage also helps make the boarding process faster as passengers will not have to spend as much time looking for a space to stow baggage, creating efficiencies in aircraft turnarounds.
Charbel Youzkatli, head of commercial services Europe at Airbus, said of the design, “We know from talking with airline customers that bigger bins are a clear need to enhance the passenger experience. As with the XL Bins, the L Bins provide more space with the added advantage of a plug-and-play retrofit. We are thrilled to see Lufthansa as the first to offer the L Bins to its passengers.”
The bins, made of lightweight and stable composite products, will be manufactured by EFW (Elbe Flugzeugwerke GmbH). Airbus makes efforts to reuse components to minimise waste in its cabin retrofits, and says the L Bin re-uses many parts of the original bin, including the sidewall, ceiling and lighting.
