Lufthansa

Lufthansa's history begins on January 6, 1953 when Deutsche Lufthansa AG was refounded in West Germany following the post-World War II prohibition on German aviation — the original pre-war Lufthansa having been dissolved by Allied forces after Germany's defeat. The refounded airline commenced operations on April 1, 1955 with its first domestic flight from Hamburg to Munich and its first international service from Hamburg to London. This relaunch represented Germany's re-entry into civil aviation and carried enormous symbolic significance for the recovering West German economy. Lufthansa grew rapidly through the late 1950s and 1960s, establishing itself as one of Europe's premier carriers with early transatlantic services and one of the first European airlines to operate pure jet aircraft with the Boeing 707.

The airline was a launch customer for the Boeing 747 in 1970 and later for the Airbus A300 in 1976 — the first generation of widebody jets — establishing a lasting relationship with both manufacturers. Lufthansa was privatized between 1994 and 1997, ending direct government ownership. The formation of the Star Alliance in 1997 — with Lufthansa as a co-founder alongside United Airlines, Air Canada, Thai Airways, and SAS — was one of the most consequential events in modern airline history, reshaping how airlines compete globally. Lufthansa's acquisition strategy has been bold: Swiss (2005), Austrian (2009), Brussels Airlines (2009), Germanwings/Eurowings restructuring (2015), and ITA Airways (January 2025).

In March 2015, the group suffered its darkest chapter when Germanwings co-pilot Andreas Lubitz deliberately crashed his aircraft into the French Alps, killing all 150 aboard — a tragedy that led to sweeping changes in pilot mental health protocols across the global industry. CEO Carsten Spohr oversaw the airline's recovery from COVID-19, including a €9 billion German government bailout in 2020, and guided the group to record revenue of €37.6 billion in 2024.