Lufthansa goes “full crane” for its centennial anniversary

Lufthansa is preparing for a milestone year in 2026: 100 years since the founding of the first Lufthansa in 1926—and the airline is choosing a highly visible way to tell that story. The carrier has unveiled an “anniversary fleet” of six aircraft that will wear a special centennial livery, blending heritage symbolism with a modern, graphic-heavy execution.

At the center of the design is Lufthansa’s crane—reimagined not as a tail-mark alone, but as a sweeping, white figure spanning a deep blue fuselage. In a clever visual move, the crane’s wings appear to merge into the aircraft’s wings, making the logo feel “built into” the airframe rather than simply applied to it. Centennial marks complete the package: a large “100” on the left side, “1926 / 2026” on the right, plus an additional underside “100” meant to be seen from the ground at the right moment—during rotation and on approach.

The rollout starts with a headline aircraft: a new Boeing 787-9 named “Berlin,” registered D-ABPU. Lufthansa says the jet received its special livery in Charleston, USA, and positions it as a flying ambassador for the anniversary. Flightradar24 reports the aircraft is expected to arrive in Germany in December 2025, with commercial service anticipated from January 2026.

Crucially, this isn’t a one-off showpiece. Lufthansa says the centennial scheme will be applied to six aircraft types—Boeing 787-9, Airbus A380, Airbus A350-1000, Airbus A350-900, Airbus A320, and Boeing 747-8—intended to represent the airline’s major sub-fleets with one aircraft each. The company expects the full set of aircraft to be completed by autumn 2026, meaning the livery will likely appear gradually across airports and route networks throughout the anniversary year.

For enthusiasts, the appeal is obvious: this is one of the rare modern special liveries that doesn’t just add a badge—it transforms the aircraft into the logo itself. For Lufthansa, it’s a high-impact branding move that keeps the crane—first designed as a trademark in 1918—front and center as the airline heads into its second century.