Aviation360 MEA

In a solemn ceremony held at Airbus’ Hamburg-Finkenwerder facility, ufthansa and the aircraft manufacturer celebrated the occasion of the airline receiving its 600th aircraft.

On February 9, 1976, an A300B2 was delivered by Airbus to Lufthansa, establishing a collaboration in civil aviation that has lasted for almost 50 years.

In that period, nearly every airline in the Lufthansa Group has received one of more than ten different Airbus aircraft models.

The 600th Airbus aircraft to be delivered to Lufthansa, which bears the registration D-AIEQ, is an Airbus A321neo.

Seating 215 passengers, the A321neo is a state-of-the-art and fuel-efficient short- and medium-haul twinjet that has been in Lufthansa service since 2019. D-AIEQ has been named ‘Münster’ after the German city.

“Lufthansa and Airbus have been partners ever since we delivered the first A300 back in February 1976,” said Guillaume Faury, Airbus CEO.

“Since then, Lufthansa has taken delivery of an Airbus aircraft an average of every month – 600 of them in almost 50 years! No other airline group has received more of our aircraft to date.”

Carsten Spohr, Chairman of the Lufthansa Group Executive Board said: “Lufthansa and Airbus are united by a very special partnership. Ever since Airbus’s creation, we have enjoyed close and trusting collaborations on a wide range of research projects and new developments.”

Mr Spohr further noted the fact that the airline has had served as a launch customer for four aircraft types, and pointed to the fact that it has ordered every family of aircraft that Airbus has developed over the past five decades.

He further added: “And more than 90 per cent of the 600 Airbuses that we have taken delivery of during that time are still in Group service today. We also wish to welcome our 700th Airbus to our fleet as part of our centennial celebrations in 2026.”