Employees design a Lufthansa aircraft for the anniversary

n the anniversary year of 2026, Lufthansa is taking to the skies with yet another very special aircraft: an Airbus A321neo featuring a special livery that tells deeply personal stories of the airline’s employees. Under the motto “Made by many. Remembered by all,” Lufthansa pays tribute to the people who have shaped the company for 100 years.

“All of our colleagues are part of Lufthansa’s history,” says 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.”

Via the intranet, all Lufthansa Group employees were invited to submit their personal stories. A jury selected the 20 best anecdotes, ideas, and proposals, from which all employees were then able to vote for their favorites. Twelve motifs will now find their place on the aircraft bearing the baptismal name “Hamm.”

The selected stories are wide-ranging: some employees highlighted special moments from Lufthansa’s history, such as the first inter-German scheduled flight following Germany’s division, which operated from Frankfurt am Main to Leipzig in 1989. Others submitted very personal experiences – for example, the story of a male and a female flight attendant who met while skiing during a layover in Vancouver. Their drawing of themselves on skis in the mountains will now adorn the aircraft – as will a motif contributed by Lufthansa Technik employees: it depicts two interlocking hands and is meant to symbolize the team spirit that is lived across many areas of work at Lufthansa.

In addition to the employee motifs, historical images will also be featured – for example, a photo of Lufthansa’s first two female pilots, Nicola Lisy and Evi Hetzmannseder. All images are placed into designated mats integrated into the design of the now-familiar XXL crane, which extends across the entire aircraft bearing the registration D-AIEM. In this way, the employees’ stories fly with it across all of Europe.

Additional employee motifs will be added on a rolling basis over the course of the year. Next to each mat on the aircraft, a QR code will be visible, linking to a landing page with background information on the respective motifs.

Lufthansa’s key sub-fleets have already received their own special liveries in the anniversary year. Currently, two Airbus A320neo, one Airbus A350-900, one Airbus A380, one Boeing 747-8, and one Boeing 787-9 are flying around the world in the 100-year design featuring the XXL crane. In the fall, the A350-1000 will join as the seventh member of this special anniversary fleet.

Find & book the best Hotel deals