Product

New FirstAnnounced

Airline: British Airways
Aircraft Type: Airbus A380-800
Status: Announced
First class seats: 12
AeroLOPA URL: —
Aircrafts: No aircrafts assigned

British Airways unveiled its next-generation First seat in November 2024 as part of a full retrofit of its Airbus A380 fleet. The new cabin will have 12 First suites, replacing the current 14-seat First cabin.

Each suite is 36.5 inches wide and converts into a 79-inch fully flat bed behind a 60-inch curved privacy wall. It features a 32-inch 4K display, personal wardrobe and luggage storage, an in-suite minibar, electronic window blinds and an ottoman that allows a companion to dine at the seat. The divider between the two centre suites can be opened to create a shared space for passengers travelling together.

British Airways originally planned to introduce the refurbished A380 in mid-2026, but that target was missed. In October 2026, when BA revealed the complete refurbished A380 interior, it said the first aircraft was expected to enter service “in the coming months” on selected routes. No specific entry-into-service date or launch route has been announced.

G-XLEC (MSN 124) is believed to be the first aircraft undergoing the retrofit. It flew from London Heathrow to Manila on August 9, 2026 and has remained there since. British Airways has not publicly confirmed G-XLEC as the first retrofit aircraft.

Routes

No current or upcoming routes listed.

News & press releases

British Airways reveals all-new First, Club Suite, World Traveller Plus and World Traveller cabins as part of its multi-billion investment into customer experience
mediacentre.britishairways.com · Oct 5, 2026

British Airways has now revealed the complete cabin for its refurbished A380, nearly two years after first showing the new First suite. The seat itself is not new, but BA has finally confirmed that First will have 12 suites, down from 14 today. The full aircraft will have 106 Club Suites, 84 World Traveller Plus seats and 215 economy seats.

The rollout is still less clear. BA originally targeted mid-2026, but now says only that the first refurbished A380 will enter service “in the coming months” on selected routes. It still has not announced a firm entry-into-service date, launch route or officially identified the first aircraft. So this announcement fills in the cabin configuration, but not yet the rollout.
Taking luxury to new heights: British Airways unveils its brand-new First class
mediacentre.britishairways.com · Nov 25, 2024

British Airways gave the first look at its next-generation First suite, which is planned to debut on the A380 from mid-2026 as part of the fleet’s wider retrofit. The new seat is 36.5 inches wide and converts into a 79-inch fully flat bed, with a 60-inch curved privacy wall, 32-inch 4K screen, personal storage, electronic window blinds and an ottoman for dining with a companion. The divider between the two centre suites can also be opened for passengers travelling together.

The seat was developed with Collins Aerospace, but BA stopped short of revealing the full First cabin layout. It did not say how many suites the refurbished A380 would have, leaving the eventual cabin size and overall configuration still unclear.