Founded on January 6, 1953, with operations commencing on April 1, 1955, Lufthansa proudly serves as the flag carrier of Germany. Through the consolidation of its subsidiaries, it stands as the second-largest airline in Europe in terms of passengers carried. Additionally, Lufthansa holds the distinction of being one of the five founding members of the Star Alliance, the world's largest airline alliance formed in 1997.

Corporate Overview

Lufthansa operates alongside its subsidiary passenger airlines, including Swiss International Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Austrian Airlines, and Eurowings. The airline's headquarters is situated in Cologne, and it boasts primary hubs at Frankfurt Airport's Lufthansa Aviation Center and Munich Airport as a secondary hub.

Historically, Lufthansa had political connections to Nazi Germany, which led to its dissolution post-World War II.

History

The roots of Lufthansa trace back to 1926 when Deutsche LuftHansa A.G. was established in Berlin. Serving as Germany's flag carrier until 1945, Lufthansa's journey continued with the approval to commence scheduled domestic flights connecting Frankfurt, Cologne, Munich, Dusseldorf, and Hamburg on April 1, 1955. International flights soon followed on May 15, 1955, with destinations including Paris, Madrid, and London. Notably, in August 1958, Lufthansa ventured to North America with fifteen Lufthansa 1049Gs and 1649s departing for Canada and the United States, embarking on a marketing campaign to promote travel to West Germany in the post-World War II era.

The 1960s witnessed Lufthansa's transition to jetliners. It introduced Boeing 707s in 1958, launching jet flights from Frankfurt to New York City in March 1960. The airline expanded its fleet further with the introduction of the Boeing 727 in 1964 and initiated the Polar route from Frankfurt to Tokyo via Anchorage. A significant milestone was achieved with the order of 21 Boeing 737s in February 1965, becoming the first customer for Boeing's 737-100 model.

Evolving Through the Decades

Lufthansa's evolution continued with the introduction of the DC-10-30 on November 12, 1973, and the first Airbus A300 in 1976. The airline, in collaboration with Swissair, became the launch customer for the Airbus A320 in 1979. A fleet modernization program commenced on June 29, 1985.

In the 1990s and 2000s, Lufthansa expanded its horizons. Berlin rejoined Lufthansa's destination network on October 28, 1990. The company initiated significant structural changes, establishing independent entities like Lufthansa Systems, Lufthansa Technik, and Lufthansa Cargo in 1995. The airline also actively participated in addressing class action lawsuits against German companies for World War II misdeeds.

Collaboration played a pivotal role, with Air One becoming a Lufthansa partner in 2000. The airline consistently posted profits and announced an order for 15 Airbus A380s on December 6, 2001, utilizing the A380 fleet for long-haul flights. Notably, Lufthansa's holding company acquired Swiss International Air Lines on March 22, 2005.

Corporate Structure

Previously a state-owned enterprise until 1994, Lufthansa has been publicly traded on all German stock exchanges since 1966. The company adopted the Xetra system and counted Lansdowne Partners International Ltd and Blackrock Inc as its largest shareholders within the Lufthansa Group by year-end.