Today, Lufthansa celebrates its 100th anniversary. However, those familiar with the life and times of Cologne 
star alliance The founding members may wish to point out that the airline has only existed in its current form since the mid-1950s. Indeed, the story of Lufthansa’s centenary is a complex one, but one well worth exploring in order to understand how the airline got to where it is today.
In short, the German flag carrier chose today to celebrate its centenary, as January 6, 2026 marks the 100th anniversary of the first airline to bear this logo. 
Lufthansa name, and therefore the furthest point that can be traced back to its roots. Let’s recap the story so far.
100 years of aviation history
As Lufthansa explained in a recently released statement, 100 years ago today, on January 6, 1926, an airline called Deutsche Luft Hansa was founded. Berlin “The following”Junkers Luftverkehr and Deutsche Aero Lloyd mergeThe aircraft carrier was a pioneer in German aviation during the interwar period, but amid the vicissitudes of German politics in the 1930s and 1940s, it soon became an active member of the Nazi regime.
Today’s German flag carrier is keen to reflect on the lessons of the past, describing the period as “The darkest chapter in Lufthansa history”, but it was also willing to take a hard look and learn. After World War II, Lufthansa ceased operations in the early 1950s due to the Allied occupation of Germany. As Lufthansa explains, this was one of the many challenges the airline overcame in its 100 years:
“This anniversary is a tribute to the passengers who have accompanied Lufthansa through a century of challenges, changes and progress. Without their loyalty and trust, Lufthansa’s success story would not be possible.”
post war growth
Despite this setback, it wasn’t long before the Lufthansa name returned to popularity, this time as a one-word incident. Following the founding of the “Aktiengesellschaft für Luftverkehrsbedarf” in 1953, the new German flag carrier began operations in 1955 as Lufthansa, taking on the name and logo of the former airline. Initially offering only domestic flights, Lufthansa soon expanded internationally within Europe and then to other regions.
In fact, as Lufthansa points out, before the 1950s were over, the reformed German flag carrier had successfully launched long-haul flights to the following destinations: New YorkWith the arrival of the “jet age” in the 1960s, its development in the second half of the 20th century was further promoted. An important milestone came in 1989 when a Lufthansa plane landed in Berlin for the first time since 1945 to demonstrate Germany’s new unity.
Lufthansa has experienced its fair share of turmoil over the past 100 years, and Lufthansa has had to overcome hijackings, the oil crisis, the impact of 9/11, economic recession and COVID-19. However, these have been offset by milestones such as the introduction of business class, integrated rail ticketing and the formation of Star Alliance, which Lufthansa is now preparing forA bold look to the future and the start of the company’s second century” 2026.
This year’s centenary celebration
As shown above, one of the most eye-catching ways Lufthansa is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year is with a special livery featuring a dark blue fuselage. initial Revealed on Boeing 787 in SeptemberLufthansa later confirmed The paint scheme will also be used on Airbus A320, A350-900, A350-1000, A380 and Boeing 747-8. it also has Two vintage aircraft restored for display as part of the fun.
The German flag carrier has chosen “We are the journey” as its motto for this year’s centenary celebrations, saying: “Highlighting the shared journey of the brand’s employees, passengers and fans” Lufthansa also plans to pass “Special events, history books, film and video productions, employee celebrations, customer events, and marketing and product events for the coming year.”“.