British Airways plans 106-seat business class on A380s

British Airways plans to install 106 Club World suites on each of its Airbus A380s, a nine-seat increase that the airline describes as the world’s largest business-class cabin. The British Airways A380 business class refit would reduce the aircraft’s overall capacity as the carrier devotes more space to premium seating, CNBC reported.

The overhaul will cover the airline’s 12 A380s. British Airways said the business-class suites will have sliding doors and fill the entire upper deck of the double-decker aircraft.

How will the British Airways A380 cabin layout change?

The planned configuration shifts seats away from standard economy and into the carrier’s higher-priced cabins. British Airways has not provided a timetable, routes or a cost for the work in the information reported by CNBC.

• Business class: 106 seats, up from 97
• First class: 12 suites, down from 14
• Premium economy: 84 seats, up from 55
• Economy: 215 seats, down from 303

Based on those figures, total capacity would fall from 469 seats to 417, a reduction of 52. Economy would lose 88 seats, while the three premium cabins combined would add 36 seats.

British Airways’ claim that the new Club World cabin will be the world’s largest has not been independently verified in the reported information. The A380 is the largest passenger aircraft, and the planned 106-suite business cabin would be its full upper-deck layout.

CNBC reported that the redesign is part of a wider British Airways programme covering its fleet and ground services, including lounges at London Heathrow. The report placed the move within a broader airline push to expand higher-priced seating options, while the carrier’s announcement establishes the proposed A380 configuration rather than an entry-into-service schedule.

This story draws on original reporting from CNBC.