Lufthansa History: The Crane, the 737 Launch and Star Alliance – Airline Employee Shop

Lufthansa History

Lufthansa first flew as Deutsche Luft Hansa in 1926, started over in the 1950s and grew into one of Europe's biggest airline groups, all under a crane logo drawn in 1918. Here's a short history of Lufthansa, plus the Lufthansa collection that celebrates it.

Deutsche Luft Hansa (1918–1951)

The crane logo is older than the airline. Otto Firle created it in 1918 for Deutsche Luft-Reederei, which began service on February 5, 1919. On January 6, 1926, Deutscher Aero Lloyd and Junkers Luftverkehr merged in Berlin to form Deutsche Luft Hansa. After the Second World War the old company's remaining assets were liquidated on January 1, 1951.

A fresh start (1953–1959)

A new company, Luftag, was founded in Cologne on January 6, 1953. On August 6, 1954, it took the Lufthansa name and logo. Domestic flights were approved on April 1, 1955, and international service to London, Paris and Madrid began on May 15, 1955. Lockheed Super Constellation flights to New York followed on June 1, 1955. In 1958 Frankfurt became the main hub.

The jet age (1960–1993)

Boeing 707s began Frankfurt to New York jet service in March 1960, and the Boeing 727 arrived in 1964. On February 19, 1965, Boeing named Lufthansa the launch customer for the 737, with an order for 21 of the -100 model. The 737 entered domestic service in February 1968. The widebody era began with a Boeing 747 flight on April 26, 1970. In 1967 designer Otl Aicher created a new corporate design for the airline.

Star Alliance and a growing group (1994–today)

Lufthansa was state-owned until 1994. On May 14, 1997, it co-founded Star Alliance with Air Canada, United, SAS and Thai Airways. Lufthansa bought Swiss International Air Lines in 2005 and Austrian Airlines in 2009. A dark blue livery arrived in 2018, and in 2023 Lufthansa agreed to buy a 41 percent stake in ITA Airways.

A few things collectors love

  • The crane logo was drawn in 1918, eight years before Deutsche Luft Hansa itself was formed.
  • Lufthansa called its first 737s "City Jets" and named them after German cities, such as D-ABEC "Osnabrück" and D-ABED "Flensburg."
  • The Boeing 747 era began for Lufthansa on April 26, 1970, just over four years after its 737 order.

Shop Lufthansa

Browse Lufthansa logo T-shirts, coffee mugs, coasters, tote bags and vintage designs in the Lufthansa collection. Add an airline bag tag or key tag for the Lufthansa fan in your life.

AirlineEmployeeShop.com is an independent retailer of airline memorabilia. This page is for historical interest and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Lufthansa.