June 1, 2026, 3:54 pm | Read time: 3 minutes
Business travelers, Africa-bound travelers, and Canary Islands vacationers might soon find themselves flying with an unusual airline: A German entrepreneur is planning an airline that completely forgoes economy class. Instead, the planes will be equipped exclusively with business-class seats–in a scale that hasn’t been seen before.
Behind the project is Klaus J. Lauth, 64, who lives in Gran Canaria. According to BILD, citing the industry portal “Aero Telegraph,” he is working on establishing “Can Am Airways.” The new airline aims to transport passengers from North America via Las Palmas on Gran Canaria to destinations in Africa.
The plan involves a concept that significantly differs from established airlines. In the long term, Lauth wants to use Boeing 747-400s and outfit the jumbo jets exclusively with business-class seats. Depending on the aircraft, between 280 and 340 seats are planned.
Unusual Concept on Board
For comparison: Even large premium airlines offer significantly fewer business-class seats in their wide-body aircraft. The planned seating would set new standards.
However, the business class is intended to look different from that of traditional premium airlines. A 2-2-2-2 configuration with eight seats per row is planned. This would make the cabins more densely seated than many current business-class products. According to the company’s vision, passengers should still receive more comfort than in economy class.
Lauth justifies the approach with the characteristics of large long-haul aircraft. He told “Aero Telegraph”: “Such a project only works if you think differently and do things differently than others have so far.” He also relies on the idea that travelers on long routes would prefer to fly in a spacious jumbo jet rather than in modern narrow-body aircraft like the Airbus A321 XLR.
First Routes from Can Am via Gran Canaria
As a possible first connection, Lauth mentions the route Washington D.C. – Las Palmas – Abuja in Nigeria. The project targets business travelers, diplomats, cruise guests, North American vacationers to the Canary Islands, and passengers with further destinations in Africa.
Additional revenue is expected from cargo transport in the aircraft’s lower deck. At the start, Can Am Airways is considering leasing Airbus A340-600s. Later, the company plans to obtain its own air operator’s certificate and build a fleet of Boeing 747 jumbos. According to Lauth, there is even interest in decommissioned Lufthansa aircraft.
In the long term, the entrepreneur envisions a fleet of up to twelve Boeing 747-400s. However, the project is still in its early stages. Lauth claims to already have investors and is seeking additional backers. If the project progresses as planned, Can Am Airways could begin operations in the winter schedule of 2026/27. Whether the announced world’s largest business class will actually become a reality remains to be seen.