Tourexpi
In its centenary year 2026, Lufthansa is introducing
another distinctive aircraft to its fleet: an Airbus A321neo featuring a
special livery created from the personal stories of its employees. Under the
motto “Made by many. Remembered by all,” the airline pays tribute to the people
who have shaped Lufthansa over the past 100 years.
“All of our colleagues are part of Lufthansa’s
history,” said Jens Ritter, CEO of Lufthansa Airlines. “Whether in the air or
on the ground – every person who works for Lufthansa defines our airline and
makes it what it is. With this special livery, we want to honor their work and
tell Lufthansa’s history from their perspective.”
Employee stories become part of the aircraft design
All Lufthansa Group employees were invited via the
company intranet to submit personal anecdotes and ideas reflecting their
experiences with the airline. A jury selected 20 of the submissions, after
which employees voted for their favorites. Twelve motifs will now be featured
on the aircraft, which carries the name “Hamm.”
The chosen stories cover a wide range of themes. Some
highlight historic moments in Lufthansa’s past, such as the first scheduled
flight between East and West Germany after the fall of the Berlin Wall,
operated from Frankfurt to Leipzig in 1989. Others reflect more personal
experiences, including the story of two flight attendants who met while skiing
during a layover in Vancouver. Their illustration of themselves skiing in the
mountains will appear on the aircraft.
Another motif created by Lufthansa Technik employees
depicts two interlocking hands, symbolizing the team spirit that characterizes
collaboration across many areas of the company.
Historical images and digital storytelling
Alongside the employee motifs, the aircraft also
features historic images from Lufthansa’s history. One example is a photograph
of the airline’s first two female pilots, Nicola Lisy and Evi Hetzmannseder.
All visuals are incorporated into specially designed
frames embedded within the now-familiar XXL crane design that spans the entire
aircraft, registered as D-AEIM. In this way, the stories of Lufthansa employees
will travel across Europe with the aircraft.
Additional employee motifs will be added over the
course of the year. Each design element on the aircraft is accompanied by a QR
code linking to a dedicated webpage with background information about the
respective story.
Anniversary fleet continues to grow
Several aircraft types within Lufthansa’s fleet have
already received special centenary liveries. Currently, two Airbus A320neo, one
Airbus A350-900, one Airbus A380, one Boeing 747-8 and one Boeing 787-9 are
flying worldwide with the 100-year design featuring the XXL crane.
In autumn, an Airbus A350-1000 will join as the
seventh aircraft in Lufthansa’s special anniversary fleet.
Image
Credit: © Lufhansa Group
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