In 1926, the precursor to one of Europe’s most recognizable airlines arrived on the aviation scene. That airline is Lufthansa, which has connected Germany to much of the rest of the world in the years since the 1950s Airbus A380, but its predecessor was Deutsche Luft Hansa, which was founded in 1926. As one might surmise, the airline has been looking for ways to commemorate reaching the century mark for several years now; this week, it announced one of the most visible elements of that anniversary.
Lufthansa will celebrate its centennial with what the airline describes as an “anniversary fleet.” In practical terms, that means a group of planes with distinctive livery spotlighting the airline reaching the 100-year mark. That includes a large “100” on both the left sides and the bottoms of the aircraft involved, along with the years “1926 / 2026” on the right side of the fuselage.
The first Lufthansa plane to join the anniversary fleet hasn’t arrived yet; a Boeing 787-9 scheduled to arrive in Frankfurt later this year will be the first plane to use this livery. According to the airline’s announcement, the anniversary fleet will also involve several Airbus models — the A320, A350-900, A350-1000 and A380,1000 — as well as a Boeing 747-8. All of the planes comprising the anniversary fleet are scheduled to have the livery by the end of 2026.
Airlines Are Embracing One Airbus Model for Longer Flights
The Airbus A321XLR has many admirersThe Boeing 787-9 with the new livery, registered as D-ABPU, is scheduled to begin regular flights in January. Earlier this month, Lufthansa described this plane as “a flying ambassador for the 100th founding anniversary.” It’s one of several Boeing Dreamliners that either have joined or will be joining Lufthansa’s existing fleet.
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