Swiss aircraft interior specialist Bucher Leichtbau has completed a large-scale refurbishment of galley units operated across the Lufthansa Group’s Airbus A320 and A321 fleet, returning equipment originally delivered in 2011 to service rather than replacing it.
The Fällanden-based manufacturer announced on May 5, 2026, that the majority of the units covered by the program have been overhauled at its facilities and are now ready for further operational use. The galleys had spent more than a decade in continuous service on Lufthansa’s narrowbody fleet, which forms the backbone of the carrier’s European short and medium-haul operations and remains central to the German group’s fleet planning through its 2026 centenary.
Refurbishment over replacement
The program prioritized retaining existing structural elements while integrating upgrades required to meet current operational standards. According to Bucher, units were returned to their facilities for inspection, structural assessment, and targeted modernization, with replacement reserved for components that could no longer be brought up to specification.
The approach is built around what the company describes as a reduce, reuse, renew philosophy: minimizing material consumption through lightweight construction, retaining durable structural components where conditions allow, and integrating updates only where operationally necessary.
Bucher’s galley architecture is based on a proprietary lightweight aluminum frame that the manufacturer says supports service lives of ten to fifteen years or more, with modular subcomponents that can be repaired, replaced, or upgraded individually rather than as full assemblies.
A weight and lifecycle argument
The case for refurbishment over replacement rests on two connected arguments familiar across the cabin interiors sector: lifecycle cost and weight. Lower aircraft weight translates directly into reduced fuel consumption over the airframe’s remaining service life, a calculation that has become increasingly central to fleet economics as carriers face sustained pressure on emissions and operating costs. Extending the useful life of cabin equipment also avoids the carbon and material cost of producing new units.
Lufthansa has been gradually upgrading its A320 family cabins, announcing in 2023 that 38 A320s would receive a new interior configuration, including larger overhead bins and seat-mounted device holders. The Bucher refurbishment program covers the galley equipment on aircraft that, in many cases, have already been part of these incremental cabin updates.
Beat Burlet, CEO of Bucher Group, said the program demonstrated that aircraft interior equipment designed for durability could remain in service well beyond a decade.
“Our galleys from 2011 are still in outstanding condition after more than a decade of service. By refurbishing and upgrading them instead of replacing, we help our customers save costs and resources while supporting a cleaner aviation future,” Burlet said in a statement.
Circularity in cabin interiors
The Lufthansa program reflects a broader shift in cabin interiors toward modular designs that can be progressively updated rather than wholesale replaced.
Aircraft galleys, lavatories, and seat structures are increasingly being engineered with serviceability and component-level upgrades in mind, partly in response to airline demand for longer asset lives and partly to meet tightening sustainability reporting requirements across the European supply chain.
Neither Bucher nor Lufthansa disclosed the financial terms of the refurbishment program or the exact number of units involved.
The galley overhaul forms part of the maintenance and modernization activity supporting Lufthansa’s A320 family fleet, which continues to operate alongside newer A320neo aircraft and the carrier’s progressively updated long-haul cabin product.