One of the oldest airlines in the world….
To celebrate, a number of aircraft will be painted in a special commemorative livery.
The German carrier’s history is not without its complications. Starting life in 1926 as Deutsche Luft Hansa (DLH) but liquidated in 1951 due to its association with the Nazi regime during World War 2. On 6 January 1953, Aktiengesellschaft fur Luftverkehrsbedarf (often shortened to Luftag) founded by staff of the former DLH. Luftag adopted the branding by acquiring the Luft Hansa name and logo in 1954. DLH was formed by the merger of Deutscher Aero Lloyd and Junkers Lueftverkehr.
Following WW2, Germany had not been granted full sovereignty over its airspace, Luftag went ahead and ordered 4 Convair CV-340 and 4 Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation. A maintenance base then set up at HAM. On 1 April 1955 Lufthansa won approval to start scheduled domestic flights linking HAM, DUS, FRA, CGN and MUC. In May international flights began to LHR, CDG and MAD. Then Super Constellation flights to JFK and later across the South Atlantic. Political intervention meant that the airline could not operate to East Germany, so Lufthansa turned FRA into its primary hub in 1958. Following reunification in 1990 and the opening of Berlin-Brandenburg in 2020, the plan to move its primary hub and HQ back to BER never came to fruition. East Germany was unable to establish its own “Lufthansa”, but after many legal challenges, subsequently launched Interflug in 1963.
Embracing the jet age, Lufthansa ordered 4 B707 in 1958. Allowing launch of FRA-JFK flights in March 1960. To bolster their jet fleet, B720 were added. The network continued to expand throughout the early 1960s. Far East routes extended beyond BKK to HKK and HND. Adding LOS and JNB in 1962. The B727 introduced in 1964 with Lufthansa launching a pioneering Polar route FRA-HND via ANC. Further expansion plans announced in February 1965 with order for 21 B737, which entered service in 1968. Lufthansa holds the distinction of being one of Boeing’s first customers for the 737 and 1 of only 4 for the initial B737-100.
The wide-body era started in April 1970 with the carrier’s first B747 flight. In 1974, the DC-10-30 introduced. The first A300 in 1976. Lufthansa and Swissair becoming launch customers for the A310, ordering 25. Their modernisation programme began in June 1985 with an order for 15 A320 and 7 A300-600, 10 B737-300 a few days later. All delivered 1987-1992. Lufthansa also bought A321, A340 and B747-400. A new corporate identity adopted in 1988 consisting of a new livery, with redesigned cabins and airport lounges.
The mid-1990s saw a period of strategic restructuring. Independent operating companies within the Group were established. These included Lufthansa Technik, Lufthansa Cargo and Lufthansa Systems (IT). Then adding LSG Sky Chefs, Condor and Lufthansa CityLine. In May 1997, the carrier joined Star Alliance, the world’s first multilateral airline alliance. After 9/11, the airline maintained profitability and avoided workforce reductions. It became the launch customer in 2004 for Connexion by Boeing, an in-flight internet package. Its position as a major European airline group strengthened by the acquisition of Swiss in 2005, Brussels 2009-2017 and Austrian in 2009. The airline made a commitment to very large aircraft by introducing the first of 14 A380 in 2010 and becoming the launch customer for the B747-8i in 2012, eventually purchasing 19.
After losses in 2010 and 2011, a restructuring programme announced. All short-haul flights outside FRA, MUC and DUS transferred to the company’s low-cost carrier Germanwings. There were also some questionable decisions, including imposing a surcharge for ticket purchases outside of the airline’s website. In October 2017, 81 aircraft acquired from the now insolvent Air Berlin. In 2019, 20 B787-9 and 20 more A350-900 ordered for the group’s fleet replacement and expansion. It was also announced that 6 A380 would be sold back to Airbus, starting in 2022. The impact of the pandemic resulted in a bailout, which gave the German Government a 20% stake in the airline.
As one of the longest serving CEOs world-wide, Carsten Spohr is well-known for making decisions then later rescinding them. Retiring the A340-600 then returning them to service. Next came the A380 retirement announcement, only for that to be reversed in 2022. His quest to form a giant airline group further enhanced by a 41% share in Italian carrier ITA. A minority stake also held in Latvian-based carrier Air Baltic. Not forgetting Air Dolomiti, the Italian regional carrier operating feeder flights to Lufthansa’s mainline operations at FRA and MUC.
At an industry day late 2025, the CEO questioned whether Lufthansa Group was too big. Maybe a new year will herald streamlining in name only. However, the question of TAP Air Portugal acquisition remains, will they or won’t they….
In other news –
Cathay Pacific – to celebrate its 80th anniversary, an A350-900 is sporting a retro livery.
Starlux – recently took delivery of its first A350-1000.
Aer Lingus – will be closing their MAN long-haul base end March 2026. Although this had remained unconfirmed, the airline formally announced a few days ago after aviation media and prospective passengers found that flights could not be booked for April onwards.
Alaska – unveiled its new livery on B787-9. Very stylish and a move away from their usual “animal” one. Has anyone spotted it yet?
And finally –
AMS – high volumes of snow recently hit the UK and Europe. At one of the worst affected airports, KLM cancelled a record number of flights resulting in chaos. There’s been reports of passengers having to sleep in the terminals and ground staff filming snowball fights on the apron. Although there’s also been pictures of rooms full of temporary beds and trolleys loaded with water and snacks. A shortage of de-icing fluid meant a trip into Germany to acquire extra supplies. The CEO took to social media providing an update and apologising for what appeared to be a failure to be ready for this weather event.
Several UK airports suffered temporary closure and/or severe delays with BHX not reopening until late morning Friday.
Did you know?
Ever noticed the triangles on the cabin wall and wondered what they’re for? Thanks to Virgin Atlantic’s Captain Chris, the mystery is solved. They’re markers indicating the front and back of the wing. In a recent video, he needed to assess whether de-icing was required. The leading edge fine, but there was ice accumulation on the back.
Scam Alert – Shop Flight Models is advertising on Instagram, claiming to be closing down. As collecting aircraft models is becoming very popular, wanted to warn you about this site. Many reviews claim the models are inferior quality and not worth the price paid. Best to buy from reputable sites, although they may cost a bit more!
Information courtesy of Wikipedia, Simple Flying, Twitter/X, Captain Chris (via Instagram)
Images courtesy of Air Data News, Instagram
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