Airbus and Lufthansa Group mark 50 years of partnership with new cooperation agreements

Germany

Airline group prepares to take delivery of its 700th Airbus aircraft later this year

Airbus and Lufthansa Group have celebrated the 50th anniversary of their partnership at the ILA Berlin Air Show, while also announcing new areas of strategic cooperation. The milestone comes as Lufthansa prepares to take delivery of its 700th Airbus aircraft later this year, underlining one of the longest and most significant partnerships in commercial aviation.

The relationship began in 1976 with the delivery of Lufthansa’s first Airbus A300. Since then, the airline group has become one of Airbus’ largest customers worldwide and has played a key role in the introduction of several aircraft programmes.

Half a century of collaboration

Over the past five decades, Lufthansa has operated every major Airbus aircraft family, including the A220, A300, A320, A330, A340, A350 and A380. The airline group also served as a launch customer for several Airbus models, contributing to the development and market introduction of new aircraft technologies.

“Today, we are working together towards the delivery of the 700th aircraft for the Lufthansa Group which is scheduled for later this year,” said Lars Wagner, CEO Commercial Aircraft at Airbus. “This major milestone is just one example of how Airbus and Lufthansa jointly worked on making aviation one of the key industries for Germany.”

Carsten Spohr, CEO of Lufthansa Group, highlighted the strategic importance of the relationship for both companies and for the European aviation industry.

“As the world leading aviation groups, Airbus and the Lufthansa Group share a long-standing, trusting, and very special partnership,” Spohr said. “Over the past half-century, we have not only taken delivery of more aircraft from Toulouse and Hamburg than any other airline in the world, but have also supported the development of numerous aircraft models as launch customers.”

New support agreement for A220 fleet

Among the new agreements announced at ILA Berlin is a component services contract covering Lufthansa Group’s entire Airbus A220 fleet. The arrangement is intended to support efficient fleet operations across the group’s various airlines and optimise maintenance and spare parts management for the aircraft type.

The agreement forms part of a broader effort by both companies to deepen operational cooperation while supporting the continued growth and modernisation of Lufthansa’s fleet.

Continued investment in fleet modernisation

Lufthansa Group remains one of Airbus’ most important customers and continues to invest heavily in new-generation aircraft. The airline recently finalised an order for ten additional Airbus A350-900 aircraft, expanding its existing fleet of 43 aircraft of the type.

In total, Lufthansa has now ordered 75 A350 aircraft, including the future Airbus A350-1000, which is scheduled to join the fleet in the coming years.

The continued investment reflects the airline group's strategy of operating more fuel-efficient aircraft while enhancing passenger comfort and reducing environmental impact.

Joint focus on sustainable aviation

Airbus and Lufthansa also used the anniversary celebrations to reaffirm their commitment to advancing sustainable aviation technologies.

One example is the recently introduced SharkSkin aircraft coating for the Airbus A330. Inspired by the structure of shark skin, the technology is designed to reduce aerodynamic drag and improve fuel efficiency, contributing to lower emissions during flight operations.

The agreements announced in Berlin were signed in the presence of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and underscore the importance both companies attach to innovation, sustainability and the long-term competitiveness of the European aviation sector.

With the delivery of the 700th Airbus aircraft approaching and additional cooperation projects underway, Airbus and Lufthansa Group are positioning their partnership for the next phase of technological and operational development in commercial aviation.