FUTURED. ZAL Magazin 2025

LUFTHANSA TECHNIK
Inside a 20-meter segment of a
retired A320, Lufthansa Technik
is researching resource-efficient
cabin interiors.
10
A HOME FOR
SUSTAINABLE
INNOVATION
CONTACT
Christoph Lieske
christoph.lieske@lht.dlh.de
Since 2023, Lufthansa Technik has been operating
its Airbus A320 cabin mock-up at
the ZAL Center of Applied Aeronautical Research
in Hamburg. What started as a retired
aircraft from the Lufthansa Group has
now become a dynamic research hub.
The journey to its new home was no small
feat – cutting a 20-meter section from an A320,
transporting it from Lufthansa Technik’s base
at Hamburg Airport through the city toward
Finkenwerder, installing it at ZAL TechCenter,
and later relocating it to the recently extended
research space, where it has now reached its final
destination. Now fully operational, the mockup
offers a real aircraft environment for testing
and validating new technologies, making it an invaluable
asset for innovation.
The cabin has been carefully refurbished, featuring
a complete galley, two lavatories, eleven
rows of economy seating, and standard cabin
lining. Additionally, it includes a six-meter open
space for flexible installations, along with a reactivated
air conditioning recirculation system.
These enhancements make it a versatile testing
platform for a wide range of research and development
topics in aviation.
Already, the mock-up has been instrumental in
projects such as wireless data communication
within the cabin and the testing of innovative