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Lufthansa

Coordinates: 50°56′15″N 006°58′11″E / 50.93750°N 6.96972°E / 50.93750; 6.96972
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"LHT" redirects here. For information about Left-hand traffic, see Left-hand traffic.
This article is about the airline in operation today.. For other airlines of that name, see Lufthansa (disambiguation).

Lufthansa
Deutsche Lufthansa AG
File:Lufthansa Logo.svg
IATA ICAO Call sign
LH DLH LUFTHANSA
Founded1953
Commenced operations1954
Hubs
Focus cities
Frequent-flyer programMiles & More
AllianceStar Alliance
Fleet size279 excl. subsidiaries
710 inc. subsidiaries excl. shares
Destinations221
Parent companyLufthansa Group
HeadquartersCologne, Germany
Key people
  • Jürgen Weber (Head of Supervisory Board)
  • Christoph Franz (CEO)
  • Stefan Lauer (Aviation Services and Human Resources)
  • Stephan Gemkow (CFO)
Revenue€27.324 billion (2010)[1]
Profit€1.1 billion (2010)
Websitewww.lufthansa.com

Deutsche Lufthansa AG (FWB: LHA, OTCQX: DLAKY) (German pronunciation: [ˈdɔʏt͡ʃə ˈlʊfthanza]) is the flag carrier of Germany and the largest airline in Europe in terms of overall passengers carried and fleet size. The German government had a 35.68% stake in Lufthansa until 1997, but the company is now owned by private investors (88.52%), MGL Gesellschaft für Luftverkehrswerte (10.05%), Deutsche Postbank (1.03%), and Deutsche Bank (0.4%) and has 37,042 employees (as of March 2007). The name of the company is derived from Luft (the German word for "air"), and Hansa (after the Hanseatic League, a powerful medieval trading group).[citation needed]

The airline is the world's fourth-largest airline in terms of overall passengers carried, operating services to 18 domestic destinations and 203 international destinations in 78 countries across Africa, Americas, Asia and Europe. Together with its partners, Lufthansa services around 410 destinations.[2] With over 710 aircraft[3] it has the second-largest passenger airline fleet in the world when combined with its subsidiaries.

Lufthansa's registered office and corporate headquarters is in Deutz, Cologne, Germany, with its main operations base (Lufthansa Aviation Center (LAC) and primary traffic hub at Frankfurt Airport in Frankfurt am Main with a second hub at Munich Airport.[2][4][5][6] The majority of Lufthansa's pilots, ground staff, and flight attendants are based in Frankfurt.[7]

Lufthansa is a founding member of Star Alliance, the world's largest airline alliance, formed in 1997. The Lufthansa Group employs 117,000 people worldwide of 146 nationalities. In 2010, over 90 million passengers flew with Lufthansa (not including Germanwings and Brussels Airlines).

History

1950s: Post-war reformation

Lufthansa's first aircraft, a Convair 340, was delivered in August 1954

Lufthansa traces its history back to 1926 when the Deutsche Luft Hansa was formed in Berlin, an airline that served as flag carrier of the country until 1945 when all services were suspended following the defeat of Germany in World War II. The new Lufthansa was formed on January 6, 1953 as Aktiengesellschaft für Luftverkehrsbedarf, a company for air traffic demand, and was renamed Deutsche Lufthansa Aktiengesellschaft and relaunched as an airline on August 6, 1954. While Lufthansa claims DLH's history as its own, it is important to note that it is not the legal successor of the company founded in 1926. On April 1, 1955 Lufthansa launched scheduled service within Germany using the Convair 340. International operations started on May 15, 1955, with flights to points in Europe, followed by services to New York City from June 8 of that year using Lockheed Super Constellations aircraft, and on South Atlantic routes from August 1956.

East Germany attempted to establish its own airline in 1955 using the Lufthansa name, but this resulted in a dispute with West Germany, where the airline was already in operation. East Germany created its national airline Interflug in 1958, and the East German Lufhansa ceased to exist and merged into Interflug in 1963.[8] Lufthansa (and all other West German airlines) was banned from flying into West Berlin until the demise of the GDR regime.

Lufthansa was the launch customer for the Boeing 737, and operated variants including the 737-300

1960s: Jetliner introduction

In 1958, Lufthansa placed an order for four Boeing 707s, used to start jet services from Frankfurt to New York City in March 1960. Boeing 720s were later bought to back up the 707 fleet. In February 1961, Far East routes were extended beyond Bangkok, Thailand, to Hong Kong and Tokyo. The cities of Lagos, Nigeria and Johannesburg, South Africa were added in 1962.

Lufthansa introduced the Boeing 727 into service in 1964 and in May of that same year they began the Polar route from Frankfurt to Tokyo. In February 1965, the company placed an order for twenty-one Boeing 737 medium-haul jets, which were introduced into service in 1968.

Lufthansa was the first customer to purchase and also bought the largest number of Boeing 737 aircraft, and was one of only four buyers of the new 737-100s (the others were NASA, Malaysia-Singapore Airlines and Avianca– while the NASA airframe was technically the first constructed, it was the last delivered and originally intended for delivery to Lufthansa). In doing so, Lufthansa became the first foreign launch customer for a Boeing commercial plane.

1970s–1980s: The wide-body era

Lufthansa operated the Airbus A300 from 1976 to 2009

The beginning of the wide-body era for Lufthansa was marked with the inaugural Boeing 747 flight on April 26, 1970. In 1971, Lufthansa began service to South America. In 1979, Lufthansa and Swissair were launch customers for the advanced new Airbus A310, with an order for twenty-five aircraft.

The company's fleet modernisation programme for the 1990s began on June 29, 1985 with an order for fifteen Airbus A320s and seven Airbus A300-600s. Ten Boeing 737-300s were ordered a few days later. All of the aircraft were delivered between 1987 and 1992. Lufthansa also bought Airbus A321, Airbus A340 and the Boeing 747-400.

In 1987, Lufthansa, together with Air France, Iberia and SAS, founded Amadeus, an IT company (also known as a GDS) that would enable travel agencies to sell the founders and other airlines' products from a single system.

Lufthansa adopted a new corporate identity in 1988. The fleet was given a new livery while cabins, city offices and airport lounges were redesigned.[citation needed]

1990s–2000s: Further expansion

On October 28, 1990, 25 days after reunification, Berlin became a Lufthansa destination again. On May 18, 1997, Lufthansa, Air Canada, Scandinavian Airlines, Thai Airways and United Airlines formed the Star Alliance, the world's first multilateral airline alliance.

Former Lufthansa headquarters in Cologne, Germany

In 2000, Air One became a partner airline of Lufthansa and nearly all Air One flights were code-shared with Lufthansa until the purchase of Air One by Alitalia. Lufthansa has a good track record for posting profits, even in 2001, after 9/11, the airline suffered a significant loss in profits but still managed to stay 'in the black'. While many other airlines announced layoffs (typically 20% of their workforce), Lufthansa retained its current workforce.[9]

On December 6, 2001, Lufthansa announced an order for 15 Airbus A380 superjumbos with 10 more options, which was confirmed on December 20. The A380 fleet will be used for long-haul flights from Frankfurt exclusively.

In June 2003, Lufthansa opened Terminal 2 at Munich's Franz Josef Strauß Airport to relieve its main hub, Frankfurt, which was suffering from capacity constraints. It is one of the first terminals in Europe partially owned by an airline.

On May 17, 2004, Lufthansa became the launch customer for the Connexion by Boeing in-flight online connectivity service.

On March 22, 2005, SWISS merged with Lufthansa Airlines. The merger included the provision that the majority shareholders (the Swiss government and large Swiss companies) be offered payment if Lufthansa's share price outperforms an airline index during the years following the merger. The two companies will continue to be run separately.

Lufthansa Airbus A380

On December 6, 2006, Lufthansa placed an order for 20 Boeing 747-8I airliners, becoming the launch customer of the type. The airline is also the second European airline to operate the Airbus A380 (after Air France). Their first A380 was delivered on May 19, 2010.[10]

On June 11, 2010, the Airbus A380 service was operated between Frankfurt and Tokyo.[11]

Corporate affairs and identity

The main entrance to the Lufthansa headquarters in Deutz, Cologne

Headquarters

Lufthansa's corporate headquarters is located in Cologne, Germany.[12]

In 1971, Lawrence Fellows of The New York Times described the then-new headquarters building that Lufthansa occupied in Cologne as "gleaming".[13] In 1986, terrorists bombed the headquarters of Lufthansa.[14] No people received injuries as a result of the bombing.[15]

In 2006, the builders laid the first stone to the new Lufthansa headquarters in Deutz, Cologne. By the end of 2007 Lufthansa planned to move 800 employees, including the company's finance department, to the new building.[16]

Several Lufthansa departments are not located in the headquarters; instead they are located in the Lufthansa Aviation Center at Frankfurt Airport in Flughafen, Frankfurt. The departments include Corporate Communications,[17] Investor Relations,[18] and Media Relations.[19]

Subsidiaries

Lufthansa and partner Air Canada aircraft at Munich Airport
ATR 72–500 of Air Dolomiti
Embraer of Lufthansa Cityline in regional colours

In addition to its main operation, Lufthansa has several subsidiaries, including:
Airline subsidiaries:

Other operations:

Two Airbus A380 and a Boeing 747 aircraft at Frankfurt Airport
  • Delvag, an insurance company specialising in air transport.
  • Global Load Control, a world leader in remote weight and balance services.
  • LSG Sky Chefs, the world's largest airline caterer, which accounts for one third of the world's airline meals.
  • Lufthansa Commercial Holding, in which Lufthansa holds a 19% stake. LCH contains over 400 service and finance companies of which Lufthansa holds shares.
  • Lufthansa Consulting, an international aviation consultant for airlines, airports and related industries.
  • Lufthansa Flight Training, a provider of flight crew training services to various airlines and the main training arm for the airline's own pilots.
  • Lufthansa Regional, a brand operated by an alliance of several small regional airlines, including Lufthansa CityLine.
  • Lufthansa Systems, the largest European aviation IT provider.
  • Lufthansa Technik, aircraft maintenance providers.

Brand history

The Lufthansa logo, an encircled stylized crane in flight, was created in 1918 by Otto Firle. It was part of the livery of the first German airline, Deutsche Luft-Reederei (abbreviated DLR), which began air service on February 5, 1919. In 1926, Deutsche Luft Hansa adopted this symbol, and in 1954, Lufthansa expressed continuity by adopting it, too.

The original creator of the name Lufthansa is believed to be F.A. Fischer von Puturzyn. In 1925, he published a book entitled "Luft-Hansa" which examined the options open to aviation policymakers at the time. Luft Hansa was the name given to the new airline which resulted from the merger of Junkers Luftverkehr AG and Deutscher Aero Lloyd.[24]

Alliances and partnerships

Commercial

Lufthansa is owned by private investors (88.52%), MGL Gesellschaft für Luftverkehrswerte (10.05%), Deutsche Postbank (1.03%) and Deutsche Bank (0.4%) and has 37,042 employees (at March 2007).[2]

On December 13, 2007, Lufthansa and U.S.-based low-cost airline Jetblue announced the beginning of a partnership initiated through the 19% stake purchase in Jetblue shares by Lufthansa. This is the first major ownership investment by a European carrier in an American carrier since the EU–U.S. Open Skies Agreement became effective in 2008.

Lufthansa was one of the first operators of the Airbus A340-300

In late 2007, the Lufthansa cargo hub dispute was started by Russia. Lufthansa was forced to relocate its cargo hub from Kazakhstan to Russia.

On August 28, 2008, Lufthansa and Brussels Airlines announced that they were negotiating joining together.[25]

On September 15, 2008, it was jointly announced by both airlines that Lufthansa will acquire a 45% stake in Brussels Airlines with an option to acquire the remaining 55% from 2011. As a part of this deal Brussels Airlines will join Star Alliance. Brussels entered into the Star Alliance in December 2009.[26][27][28]

Lufthansa with its Star Alliance partner airlines Air Canada and Asiana Airlines at Frankfurt Airport

On October 28, 2008, Lufthansa exercised its option to purchase a further 60% share in BMI (additionally to the 20% Lufthansa already owned), this resulted in a dispute with former owner Sir Michael Bishop, though. Both parties reached an agreement at the end of June 2009, so the acquisition could take place with effect from July 1, 2009.[29] By acquiring the remaining 20% from Scandinavian Airlines Lufthansa has full control over BMI since November 1, 2009.[30]

In November 2008, Lufthansa and Austrian Airlines announced a deal in which Lufthansa will buy the majority stock from the Austrian government. The deal was completed in January 2009. At the same time, Lufthansa announced that they are in serious talks with Scandinavian Airlines System about a merger between the two airlines but Lufthansa would have to make great changes to SAS before this is viable because of the financial state of Scandinavian Airlines System over the last few years. In May 2009, it announced that talks are occurring between about a "closer commercial co-operation" between the two companies, but that a takeover is not in Lufthansa's plans.[31] Additionally, it announced that if British Airways was unable to complete its merger with Iberia, it would attempt to begin talks with the Spanish airline itself.[32]

Air Malta is a partner airline of Lufthansa

In 2010, Lufthansa was named in a European Commission investigation into price-fixing, but was not fined due to acting as a whistleblower.[33]

Technology

Until April 2009 Lufthansa inventory and departure control systems, based on Unisys were managed by LH Systems. Lufthansa reservations systems were outsourced to Amadeus in the early 1990s. Following a decision to outsource all components of the Passenger Service System, the functions were outsourced to the Altéa platform managed by Amadeus.

Partner airlines

Lufthansa built up a worldwide partner network, offering coordinated connections, common frequent-flyer programmes and code sharing. After the liquidation of Team Lufthansa, some of the former Team Lufthansa members were integrated into the partner programme. All airlines remain independent and keep their own corporate identity. Lufthansa partners around the world are:

Destinations

A Lufthansa A380 cruises over Moscow at 11,600 metres
Further information: Lufthansa destinations

Codeshare agreements

Besides fellow Star Alliance members, Lufthansa has codeshare agreements with the following airlines (as of January 2012):[34]

Fleet

Airbus A319-100 taxiing to the runway at Stuttgart Airport
Airbus A320 taking off at Berlin Tegel Airport
Airbus A321 landing at London Heathrow Airport
2 Boeing 737–500 at Stuttgart Airport
Boeing 737–500 taking off at Zurich Airport
A340-600 at Munich Airport
Boeing 727–200 in 1981
Boeing 747-400 taking off from Frankfurt Airport

As of July 2011, the Lufthansa fleet consists of the following aircraft with an average age of 13.3 years:

Lufthansa Fleet[37][38][39][40][41][42]
Aircraft In Service Orders Passengers
F C Y
Total
Airbus A319-100 25 3 — — 132 132
Airbus A320-200 46 23 — — 168 168
Airbus A320neo — 25
TBA
Airbus A321-100 20 — — — 200 200
Airbus A321-200 31 9 — — 200 200
Airbus A321neo — 5
TBA
Airbus A330-300 15 4 8 48 165 221
Airbus A340-300 26 — 8 48 165 221
8 36 197 241
— 44 222 266
Airbus A340-600 24 — 8 60 238 306
Airbus A380-800 8 17 8 98 420 526
Boeing 737–300 33 — — — 141 141
Boeing 737–500 23 — — — 121 121
Boeing 747-400 28 — 8 80 234 322
8 66 279 353
8 52 310 370
Boeing 747-8I — 20 8 80 298 386
Total 279 98

Airbus A380

Lufthansa Airbus 380 Routes:

Fleet history

Over the years, Lufthansa has operated the following aircraft types:[44][45]

Lufthansa Mainline past fleet since 1955
Aircraft Introduced Retired Notes
Airbus A300 1976 1984 originally had the A300B2 and A300B4 version and later added the A300 back to the fleet with the −600 series[46]
1987 2009
Airbus A310 1984 2005
Airbus A319 1996 —
Airbus A320 1989 —
Airbus A321 1994 —
Airbus A330-200 2002 2006
Airbus A330-300 2004 —
Airbus A340-200 1993 2006
Airbus A340-300 1993 —
Airbus A340-600 2003 —
Airbus A380 2010 —
Boeing 707 1960 1984 also used in cargo configuration
Boeing 720 1961 1965
Boeing 727 1964 1993
Boeing 737-100 1968 1982 launch customer, dubbed City Jet
Boeing 737–200 1981 1997
Boeing 737–300 1986 —
Boeing 737–400 1992 1998
Boeing 737–500 1990 —
Boeing 747–100 1970 1979 also used in cargo configuration
Boeing 747–200 1971 2004 also used in cargo configuration
Boeing 747-400 1989 —
Convair CV-340/440 1955 1968 also used in cargo configuration
Lockheed Super Constellation/Starliner 1955 1967
Douglas DC-3 1955 1960
Douglas DC-4 1958 1959 cargo aircraft (one leased aircraft)
Douglas DC-8 1968 1996 cargo aircraft
McDonnell Douglas DC-10 1974 1994
McDonnell Douglas MD-11 1998 — cargo aircraft
Vickers Viscount 1958 1971 also used in cargo configuration
Lufthansa Airbus A380 being towed to the hangar after testing, ready for its first scheduled flight on June 6, 2010 to Johannesburg[citation needed]

Aircraft Naming Conventions

In September 1960, the Lufthansa Boeing 707 (D-ABOC), which would serve the Frankfurt-New York intercontinental route, was christened Berlin after the divided city of Berlin by then-mayor Willy Brandt. Following the Berlin, other Lufthansa 707 planes were named "Hamburg", "Frankfurt," "München" and "Bonn." With these names, the company established a tradition of naming the planes in its fleet after German cities and towns or federal states, with a general rule of thumb that the airplane make, size, or route would correspond roughly to the relative size or importance of the city or town it was named after.

This tradition has continued to this day, with two notable exceptions until 2010. The Airbus A340-300 (D-AIFC Gander/Halifax) was named after Gander and Halifax, two Canadian cities along the standard flight path from Europe to North America. It became the first Lufthansa airplane named after a non-German city. The name is meant to commemorate the hospitality of the communities of Gander and Halifax, which served as improvised safe havens for the passengers and crew of the multitude of international aircraft unable to return to their originating airports after the closing of the North American airspace in the days following the terror attacks of September 11, 2001.

The other aircraft not named after a German city was the Airbus 321-100 (D-AIRA), which was designated Finkenwerder in honour of the collaborative Airbus facility in the borough of Hamburg-Finkenwerder, where parts of the Airbus models are manufactured.

In February 2010, Lufthansa announced that the first two Airbus A380 in its fleet would be named Frankfurt am Main and München, following its naming tradition. However, the subsequent A380 aircraft are named after Star Alliance hub cities.

Vintage aircraft restoration

Lufthansa Technik, the airline's maintenance arm, restored a Junkers Ju 52/3m built in 1936 to airworthiness; this aircraft was in use on the 10-hour Berlin to Rome route, across the Alps, in the 1930s. Lufthansa is now restoring a Lockheed Super Constellation, using parts from three such aircraft bought at auction. Lufthansa's Super Constellations and L1649 "Starliners" served routes such as Hamburg-Madrid-Dakar-Caracas-Santiago. Lufthansa Technik recruits retired employees and volunteers for skilled labour.[47][48] Lufthansa sells aviation enthusiasts rides on the restored aircraft.

Cabin

Lufthansa Boeing 747-400 Business Class
Economy Class aboard a Lufthansa Airbus A340-600

Intercontinental

First Class: Lufthansa First Class is offered on most long-haul aircraft (Airbus A330-300, A340-300, A340-600 and A380-800, Boeing 747–400). Each seat converts to a two-metre bed, includes laptop power outlets, as well as entertainment facilities. Meals are available on demand. Lufthansa offers dedicated First Class check-in counters at most airports, and offers dedicated First Class lounges in Frankfurt and Munich, as well as a dedicated First Class Terminal in Frankfurt. Arriving passengers have the option of using Lufthansa's First Class arrival facilities, as well as the new Welcome Lounge. Lufthansa has introduced a new First Class product aboard the Airbus A380 and plans to gradually introduce it on all of its long-haul aircraft.[49]

Business Class: Lufthansa's long-haul Business Class is offered on all long-haul aircraft. Each seat converts to a two-metre angled lie-flat bed, includes laptop power outlets and entertainment facilities. Lufthansa offers dedicated Business Class check-in counters at all airports, as well as dedicated Business Class lounges at most airports, or contract lounges at other airports, as well as the Lufthansa Welcome Lounge upon arrival in Frankfurt.

Economy Class: Lufthansa's long-haul Economy Class is offered on all long-haul aircraft. All have a 31" seat pitch except the Airbus A340s, which have a 32" seat pitch. Passengers receive meals, as well as free drinks. In 2007, Lufthansa began installing personal Audio-Video-On-Demand (AVOD) screens in Economy Class. The Airbus A340s and A330s have been completely refitted with AVOD, while the 747s are in the process of being refitted. The Airbus A380s are being delivered with AVOD systems already installed.

Lounges

Lounge Access – Class Access – Status Notes Number on Network
First Class Terminal First Class HON Circle FRA only 1
First Class Lounge First Class HON Circle FRA and MUC only 3
Senator Lounge First Class Senator (or higher)
Star Alliance Gold 		30
Business Lounge Business Class (or higher) Frequent Traveller (or higher) 26
Welcome Lounge Business Class (or higher) Frequent Traveller (or higher) FRA only
Intercontinental passengers only
No Star Alliance Gold 		1

Lufthansa operates four types of lounges: First Class, Senator, Business, and Welcome Lounges. Each departure lounge is accessible both through travel class, or Miles and More/Star Alliance status; the Welcome Lounge is limited to arriving premium Lufthansa passengers only.

First Class Terminal

Lufthansa operates a First Class Terminal at Frankfurt Airport. The first terminal of its kind; access is limited only to departing Lufthansa First Class, and HON Circle members. Approximately 200 staff care for approximately 300 passengers per day in the terminal, which features a full-service restaurant, full bar, cigar lounge, relaxation rooms and offices, as well as bath facilities. Guests are driven directly to their departing flight by Mercedes-Benz S-Class, Porsche Cayenne, Porsche Panamera or Mercedes-Benz Viano.

Miles & More

Main article: Miles & More

Lufthansa's frequent-flyer programme is called Miles & More, and is shared among several European airlines, including Austrian Airlines, Adria Airways, Croatia Airlines, LOT Polish Airlines, Luxair, Swiss International Air Lines, and Brussels Airlines. Miles & More members may earn miles on Lufthansa flights and Star Alliance partner flights, as well as through Lufthansa credit cards, and purchases made through the Lufthansa shops. Status within Miles & More is determined by miles flown during one calendar year with specific partners. Membership levels include: Basic (no minimal threshold), Frequent Traveller (Silver, 35,000 mile threshold), Senator (Gold, 100,000 mile threshold, 130,000 for German residents), and HON Circle (Black, 600,000 mile threshold over two calendar years). All non-basic Miles & More status levels offer lounge access and executive bonus miles, with the higher levels offering more exclusive benefits.

Accidents and incidents

This is a list of accidents and incidents involving Lufthansa mainline aircraft since 1954. For earlier occurrences, refer to Deutsche Luft Hansa. For accidents and incidents on Lufthansa-branded flights which were operated by other airlines, see the respective articles (Lufthansa CityLine, Lufthansa Cargo, Contact Air and Air Dolomiti).

Fatal

  • On January 11, 1959, Lufthansa Flight 502, a Lufthansa Lockheed Super Constellation (registered D-ALAK) crashed onto a beach shortly off Galeão Airport in Rio de Janeiro following a scheduled passenger flight from Hamburg, Germany. Of the 29 passengers and 10 crew members on board, only three flight attendants survived. Investigation into the accident resulted in blaming the pilots for having executed a too low approach, which may have been caused by fatigue.[50]
  • On December 4, 1961, a Lufthansa Boeing 720 (registered D-ABOK) crashed of unknown causes near Mainz during a training flight from Frankfurt to Cologne, killing the three occupants. It was the first crash involving an aircraft of that type.[51]
  • On July 15, 1964, another Boeing 720 (registered D-ABOP) crashed during a training flight, with the three people on board losing their lives (in what was only the second crash for this aircraft type). The accident occurred near Ansbach after the pilots had lost control of the aircraft when executing an aileron roll.
  • On January 28, 1966 at 17:50 local time, Lufthansa Flight 5 from Frankfurt to Bremen, which was operated using a Convair CV-440 Metropolitan registered D-ACAT, crashed 0.5 kilometres short of Bremen Airport, killing all 42 passengers and 4 crew members on board. The pilots had tried to execute a go-around when approaching the airport, during which the aircraft stalled and went out of control, possibly due to pilot error.[52]
  • On November 20, 1974 at 07:54 local time, Lufthansa Flight 540, a Boeing 747–100 (registered D-ABYB), crashed shortly after take-off at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in what was the first air accident involving a Boeing 747. 55 of the 140 passengers and 10 out of the 17 crew lost their lives, making it the worst accident in the history of the airline.[53]
  • On July 26, 1979 at 21:32 UTC, a cargo-configured Boeing 707 (registered D-ABUY) that was en route Lufthansa Flight 527 from Rio de Janeiro to Dakar and onwards to Germany (at that time cargo flights were operated in-house, the German Cargo subsidiary had not been founded yet) crashed into a mountain 25 kilometres off Galeão Airport during initial climb, killing the three crew members on board. A flawed communication between the pilots and the air traffic controller had resulted in the aircraft flying on a wrong path.[54]
  • On September 14, 1993, Lufthansa Flight 2904, an Airbus A320-200 (registered D-AIPN) flying from Frankfurt to Warsaw with 64 passengers and 4 crew members on board, overran the runway upon landing at Warsaw-Okecie Airport and crashed into an earth embankment, resulting in the death of the co-pilot and one passenger.[55][56]

Non-fatal

  • On December 20, 1973 at 00:33 local time, a Lufthansa Boeing 707 (registered D-ABOT) with 98 passengers and 11 crew members on board collided with a middle marker shack upon approaching Palam Airport in Delhi following a scheduled passenger flight from Bangkok (as part of a multi-leg flight back to Germany). There were no injuries, but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair. At the time of the incident, there had been poor visibility conditions.[57]
  • On October 18, 1983, a Lufthansa cargo-configured Boeing 747-200 (registered D-ABYU) was severely damaged when it overran the runway at Kai Tak Airport in Hong Kong, following an aborted take-off due to an engine failure. The 3 crew members on board survived without any notable injuries.[58]
  • On March 1, 2008, Lufthansa Flight 44, an Airbus A320-200 (registered D-AIQP) flying from Munich to Hamburg experienced a wingstrike during a high crosswind landing at Hamburg Airport. The left wingtip struck the ground during the attempt, and the crew successfully executed a go-around. At the time, winds at the airport were gusting up to 49 knots due to Windstorm Emma. There were no injuries to the occupants.[59]

Hijackings

  • In 1972, the year of the Munich Summer Olympics, there were four reported hijackings involving Lufthansa aircraft:
    • On February 22, a Boeing 747-200 (registered D-ABYD) with 172 passengers and 15 crew members on board was hijacked en route from Delhi to Athens (as part of a multi-leg flight back to Germany) by 5 people who thus wanted to press money from the German government. The aircraft diverted to Aden, where the demands of the perpetrators were accepted.[60]
    • On July 10, a similar hijacking attempt occurred on board a Lufthansa Boeing 737-100 during a flight from Cologne to Munich.[61]
    • October 11 saw a Boeing 727 being hijacked on a flight from Lisbon to Frankfurt. Upon landing at Frankfurt Airport, the perpetrator tried to flee but was captured by police forces.[62]
    • On October 29, two men hijacked another 727 (registered D-ABIG) with 11 other passengers and 7 crew members on board during a flight from Beirut to Ankara (and onwards to Germany), in order to liberate prisoners in exchange for the hostages. During negotiations with the German authorities, the aircraft was flown to Nicosia, Zagreb, and finally to Nuremberg (rather than Munich as the hijackers had demanded), where the perpetrators learned that their demands would not be fulfilled. They forced the pilots to return to Zagreb. Upon arrival there, the Germans had changed their minds and the prisoners were released, thus ending the hijacking.[63]
  • On December 17, 1973, in the wake of the events surrounding Pan Am Flight 110, a parked Lufthansa Boeing 737–100 (registered D-ABEY) was hijacked at Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport in Rome. 10 Italian hostages that had been taken by Palestinian terrorists at the airport were forced into the aircraft by 5 perpetrators, and the German crew (2 pilots and 2 flight attendants) that was on board preparing the departure to Munich had to fly the aircraft instead first to Athens and then to several other airports, until the ordeal ended at Kuwait International Airport the next day, where the hijackers surrendered.[64][65]
  • On June 28, 1977, a Lufthansa Boeing 727 was hijacked during a flight from Frankfurt to Istanbul and forced to divert to Munich.[66]
  • The Hijacking of the Landshut occurred on October 13, 1977, at a time when West Germany had come under intense terroristic pressure known as German Autumn. The Boeing 737–200 (registered D-ABCE) was hijacked en route Flight 181 from Palma de Mallorca to Frankfurt by 4 terrorists of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, who thus wanted to force the German government to release several RAF terrorists. The crew had to divert the aircraft with 87 other passengers first to Rome, and then onwards to Larnaca, Bahrain, Dubai, Aden (where the captain was killed after he had abandoned the aircraft for negotiations with the local authorities) and finally to Mogadishu in an ordeal that took several days. At Mogadishu Airport, the German GSG 9 special forces stormed the aircraft in the early hours of October 18 local time, killing 3 terrorists and freeing all hostages (though it triggered the death of Hanns-Martin Schleyer, the President of the Confederation of German Employers' Associations, who had been kidnapped in a separate event).[67]
  • On September 12, 1979, a hijacking attempt occurred onboard a Lufthansa Boeing 727 on a flight from Frankfurt to Cologne, but the perpetrator quickly surrendered.[68]
  • Three hijackings occurred in due course in early 1985:
    • On February 27, a Boeing 727 was hijacked en route a Lufthansa flight from Frankfurt to Damascus. Two perpetrators forced the pilots to divert the aircraft (with 35 other passengers on board) to Vienna International Airport, where they surrendered.[69]
    • On March 27, another 727 was hijacked, this time on a flight from Munich to Athens. A man demanded the pilots to divert to Libya. During a fuel stop at Istanbul, the aircraft was stormed and the perpetrator arrested.[70]
    • Only two days later, a mentally-ill person on board a Lufthansa Boeing 737–200 on a flight from Hamburg to London demanded to be taken to Hawaii instead.[71]
  • On February 11, 1993, Lufthansa Flight 592 from Frankfurt to Addis Abeba via Cairo with 94 passengers and 10 crew members was hijacked during the first leg by 20-year-old Nebiu Zewolde Demeke, who forced the pilots to divert the Airbus A310 (registered D-AIDM) to the United States, with the intent of securing the right of asylum there. Demeke, who had been on the flight in order to be deported back to his native Ethiopia, surrendered to authorities upon arrival at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City. No passengers or crew members were harmed during the 12-hour ordeal.[72]

See also

References

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