Lufthansa has welcomed the first aircraft to be painted with a special new livery to mark the airline’s 100th anniversary.
This aircraft, a Boeing 787-9 with registration D-ABPU, landed on December 23, 2025, at Frankfurt International Airport (FRA) after its delivery flight from the US manufacturer’s plant in Everett, Washington, where it was assembled.
Its arrival was awaited by spotters, aviation enthusiasts, and members of airline staff. Amongst them was Jens Ritter, Lufthansa’s Chief Executive Officer, who said: “These are the particularly beautiful and unforgettable moments in our job. It’s always a special moment to take delivery of a brand-new aircraft – but today’s landing of this anniversary Boeing 787-9, with its extraordinary special livery marking the 100th anniversary of the founding of the first ‘Luft Hansa’, was even more exciting and fascinating.”
The special livery which has been selected to mark Lufthansa’s centennial year makes extensive use of dark blue across the whole length of the fuselage, except for its central part and the wings, which are covered by a very large white crane, the symbol of the German flag carrier.
Another five aircraft will be painted in this special livery throughout 2026: an Airbus A380, an Airbus A350-1000, an Airbus A350-900, an Airbus A320, and a Boeing 747-8.
Although the current Lufthansa was technically founded in 1953, the airline claims a connection to the pre-war Lufthansa company, which was founded on January 6, 1926.