Photo: Lufthansa
In today’s civilian aviation world, the name Lufthansa is one of the most revered. The flag carrier of the German nation in its current form (Deutsche Lufthansa AG) dates to 1955, when it operated as Aktiengesellschaft für Luftverkehrsbedarf. But it likes to trace its roots much further back than that.
A company called Deutsche Luft Hansa AG was created in Berlin in 1926, after the merger of Deutscher Aero Lloyd and Junkers Luftverkehr. The company flew its first trip the same year, and it’s this one today’s Lufthansa likes to identify with.
With that in mind, in 2026 the company will celebrate its 100th anniversary. A lot of special events will probably be planned then, and the first of the bunch was announced by the company’s CEO, Carsten Spohr, during an employee event over the past weekend.
The company is about to create a permanent display of two of its most important historic planes, the Lockheed Super Star and Junkers Ju 52 D-AQUI, to remind everyone of the early days of German civilian aviation. The display will be located in either Frankfurt or Munich, at places that will be announced later this year.
Super Star is how Lufthansa called its fleet of four Lockheed L-1649 Starliner, the last version of the American-made Constellation, dating back to 1957. The Germans used them to fly transatlantic routes (Frankfurt, Düsseldorf and Orly to New York).
According to available info, just four Starliners exist today. Lufthansa’s is in storage, dismantled into individual parts, and it’ll probably have to be put back together for its permanent public display.
The Junkers Ju 52 D-AQUI, on the other hand, is a much rarer bird, having been made before the onset of the Second World War. Only one of them was used by Lufthansa, first as a seaplane. This one is in almost complete form today.
Both planes “have a very special place in Lufthansa's history and in the hearts of all aviation fans,” and showing them permanently to the world is one way for the company to wish itself a happy centenary.
With that in mind, in 2026 the company will celebrate its 100th anniversary. A lot of special events will probably be planned then, and the first of the bunch was announced by the company’s CEO, Carsten Spohr, during an employee event over the past weekend.
The company is about to create a permanent display of two of its most important historic planes, the Lockheed Super Star and Junkers Ju 52 D-AQUI, to remind everyone of the early days of German civilian aviation. The display will be located in either Frankfurt or Munich, at places that will be announced later this year.
Super Star is how Lufthansa called its fleet of four Lockheed L-1649 Starliner, the last version of the American-made Constellation, dating back to 1957. The Germans used them to fly transatlantic routes (Frankfurt, Düsseldorf and Orly to New York).
According to available info, just four Starliners exist today. Lufthansa’s is in storage, dismantled into individual parts, and it’ll probably have to be put back together for its permanent public display.
The Junkers Ju 52 D-AQUI, on the other hand, is a much rarer bird, having been made before the onset of the Second World War. Only one of them was used by Lufthansa, first as a seaplane. This one is in almost complete form today.
Both planes “have a very special place in Lufthansa's history and in the hearts of all aviation fans,” and showing them permanently to the world is one way for the company to wish itself a happy centenary.
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