Lufthansa's (LH) historic Lockheed Superstar and JU 52 aircraft will be given a new home for the airline's 100th anniversary.
DALLAS - Lufthansa (LH) Chairman and CEO Carsten Spohr has announced that the airline's historic Lockheed Superstar and JU 52 aircraft will be given a new home to commemorate the German carrier's 100th anniversary.
The move, whose preparation begins this year, was announced at an employee event. Both aircraft will be on permanent display in either Frankfurt or Munich.
The Lockheed L-1694A Superstar and the JU 52 D-AQUI are stored at Paderborn-Lippstadt Airport (PAD). The Superstar has been dismantled into its constituent parts. The JU 52 is nearly assembled.
Tomorrow Monday 17, the newest aircraft in the LH fleet will make a quick visit to its renowned forefathers. The first Lufthansa Boeing 787, registered D-ABPA, will make an afternoon stopover at PAD as part of the landing training necessary for cockpit crews.
The Superstar first flew in 1956, and the first flight of the prototype of the JU 52 was in 1930. These powered-propelled old-timers are among the most significant aircraft in aviation history.
Lufthansa will mark the 100th anniversary of its founding in 2026: Deutsche Luft Hansa AG was founded in Berlin on January 6 of that year, as a result of the merging of Deutscher Aero Lloyd and Junkers Luftverkehr. The new airline's first flight took place on April 6, 1926.
Today's LH is the legal heir to the Aktiengesellschaft für Luftverkehrsbedarf, which was established in 1953, rather than that of the firm founded in 1926. The corporation has been known as Deutsche Lufthansa AG since 1954, and flight operations commenced on April 1, 1955.
Nonetheless, the 100th anniversary of Lufthansa's establishment will be commemorated in 2026.
The historic Lockheed L-1694A Superstar and JU 52 D-AQUI aircraft have a very special place in the airline's history and in the hearts of all aviation enthusiasts. Will you see them on permanent display in 2026?
Featured image: The Lockheed L-1694A Superstar. Photo: Lufthansa
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