Aviation

10 Facts You Should Know About Lufthansa

1. Lufthansa is the largest airline in Europe:
Lufthansa Group with its subsidiaries Lufthansa, Swiss International Airlines, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Euro wings, Lufthansa Cargo, is the largest airline in Europe. The combined amount of the impressive fleet of 757 aircraft together, 360 of them belongs to Lufthansa alone.

2. Lufthansa is the Biggest Operator of Boeing 747-8
Most airlines prefer and switched to Airbus A380 to accommodate more passengers. Boeing 747s are becoming less in operation. With in-service Lufthansa operates 19, following with Korean Air operates 17. The Jumbo Jet has been around for many years and was a favorite of many airlines and it is called as “Queen of the skies”. 747 is the signature airplane of Lufthansa.

3. Lufthansa’s longest flight is over 15 Hours
Lufthansa’s longest flight to Falkland Island from Hamburg (Germany). The journey on the Airbus A350 is the longest scheduled flight and lasts for 15 hours and 36 minutes. The second Lufthansa’s longest flight to Buenos Aries takes off at Frankfurt took 13 hours and 55 minutes on the LH510.

4. Lufthansa was the launch customer of the Boeing 737
The Boeing 737 series is still the best-selling commercial aircraft in the world. Over 10000+ airlines have been built since 1968. Lufthansa launched its first Boeing 737 in 1965, later launched twinjet in 1968, the airline flew its last flight of 737 in 2016.

5. Lufthansa is one of the Five Founding members of the Star Alliance
Star Alliance is one of the world’s largest global airline alliances. Founded on 14 May 1997 by United Airlines, Lufthansa, Air Canada, SAS group, and Thai Airways. Star Alliance’s 26 member airlines operate a fleet of approximately 5033 aircraft, serving 1300 airports in 195 countries.

6. The Hub of Lufthansa
Frankfurt International Airport is the primary hub of Lufthansa, Lufthansa CityLine and Lufthansa Cargo. Lufthansa serves 18 domestic destinations and 218 international destinations in 78 countries on 6 continents.

7. Lufthansa is the First to Offer In-flight Internet
In 2003, Connexion by Boeing was the very first in-flight internet provider with Lufthansa’s Boeing 747 flight. This groundbreaking news changed the airline traveling industry.

8. Lufthansa is the Largest Purchaser of Caviar in the World
Lufthansa purchase 10 tons of caviar which are approx 5% of the entire world’s caviar. Lufthansa takes very well of Business class and First class travelers. The onboard catering is provided by LSG Sky Chefs a is a subsidiary of itself and it is partners with more than 300 airlines worldwide across 214 airports in 51 countries, producing around 591 million meals a year.

9. Lufthansa brought home the World Cup Champions
On the 14th of July 2014, one day after Germany won the Football World Cup Final against Argentina the German Players were brought back to Berlin on a Lufthansa’s Boeing 747 flight. The plane was renamed as “Siegerflieger Fanhansa” meaning “Winners-plane” and Lufthansa was turned into “Fanhansa”. During the flight, Captain Uwe Strohdeicher request special permission to overfly above the 500,000 fans waiting to welcome their heroes back home, the flight flew just at an altitude of 700 meters in a no-flight zone. The flight received a live broadcast on TV for the millions of Germans

10. first European airlines to receive the Skytrax 5 Star Certification.
On 4 December 2017, Lufthansa became the first European airline to receive the Skytrax 5 Star Certification. Skytrax is the International air transport rating organization and research for commercial airlines. Skytrax conducts surveys from international travelers to rate cabin staff, airports, airlines, airline lounges, in-flight entertainment. Lufthansa is the 10th airline to be holding this award, In celebration, Lufthansa painted an Airbus A320 and a Boeing 747-8 in the “5 Starhansa” livery.

Related Topics:airbus Boeing Boeing 737 Boeing 747 Lufthansa

Aviation

COMAC Unveils Plans for the C929 to Rival Airbus and Boeing

After the success of China’s first C919 aircraft, the country is setting its sights on developing a larger plane. COMAC (Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China) has officially confirmed plans to build a widebody aircraft, marking a significant step in its aircraft lineup.

Traditionally, Airbus and Boeing dominate the widebody aircraft market, with decades of expertise in developing planes and engines capable of carrying heavy payloads. China, which currently relies on imported engines, is now aiming to challenge these giants with its own widebody jet, the C929, designed to compete with the Airbus A350 and Boeing 777.

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The C929 will be China’s first independently developed long-range widebody aircraft. It adheres to international airworthiness standards and boasts independent intellectual property rights. The baseline version is designed to seat 280 passengers and offers a range of 12,000 kilometers, catering to global demand for both regional and international air travel.

Russia, which also needs reliable narrowbody and widebody aircraft, could become a key customer for the C929. Additionally, China plans to target the broader Asian market as it continues to expand its aviation capabilities.

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China’s aviation progress includes the ARJ21 (now called C909), a regional jet with 100 seats for shorter routes, and the C919, a narrowbody jet with 180 seats designed to rival the Boeing 737 MAX and Airbus A320. Both models have found increasing demand in the domestic market.

At China’s largest air show in Zhuhai, COMAC announced that Air China will be the launch customer for the C929 widebody jet, though details about order size and delivery timelines were not disclosed.

Other major deals announced by COMAC include:

Hainan Airlines: Firm orders for 60 C919 and 40 C909 regional jets.
Colorful Guizhou Airlines: 30 C909 jets, with 20 firm orders and 10 provisional agreements.

The C929, renamed from the CR929 after Russia withdrew from the joint development project in 2023, is expected to carry 280–400 passengers with a range of 12,000 kilometers, competing directly with Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner.

According to COMAC’s deputy general manager, Tong Yu, the first fuselage section of the C929 is expected by September 2027, with prototype test flights anticipated soon after.