Founded: 1953 (flights from 1955)
Headquarters: Cologne, Germany
Main hubs: Frankfurt (FRA) and Munich (MUC)
Lufthansa is the flag carrier of Germany and one of the biggest names in world aviation. Together with its sister airlines, it forms the Lufthansa Group, the largest airline group in Europe. For travellers from Israel, its hubs in Frankfurt and Munich offer connections to hundreds of destinations. Here is a profile of the airline.
Lufthansa’s background
The modern Lufthansa was founded in 1953 and began flying in 1955, taking the name of the original German airline that was dissolved after the Second World War. It has grown into one of the world’s leading airlines and was a founding member of Star Alliance in 1997.
The Lufthansa Group
Lufthansa is the centre of a group that includes SWISS, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines and the low-cost carrier Eurowings, and the group has also taken a stake in Italy’s ITA Airways. This gives passengers a huge choice of connections and a shared loyalty programme, Miles & More.
The fleet
Lufthansa operates a large fleet of Airbus and Boeing aircraft. Long-haul routes are flown by aircraft including the Airbus A350 and A380 and the Boeing 747-8 and 787 Dreamliner, while Airbus A320-family jets serve European routes. The airline is introducing new long-haul cabins under its Allegris brand.
Network and service
Lufthansa and its group airlines fly to well over 200 destinations worldwide. On board, passengers can expect professional service, comfortable cabins and good catering on long-haul flights, with first class available on selected routes.
Safety
Lufthansa is known for its high safety and technical standards, with highly trained crews and its own maintenance arm, Lufthansa Technik.
Lufthansa and Israel
Lufthansa connects Tel Aviv with Frankfurt and Munich, and its group airlines offer further options via Zurich, Vienna and Brussels. Flights to Israel have been suspended and resumed at times depending on the security situation, so check the current schedule before booking. For the practical details, see our guide to booking Lufthansa from Israel.
Tips for flying Lufthansa
- Choose the right fare: Economy Light includes hand luggage only, while Classic and Flex add a checked bag and more flexibility.
- Allow time to connect: Frankfurt is a large airport, so leave enough time between flights.
- Track your bag: Lufthansa lets passengers link Apple AirTags to its baggage tracing – see Lufthansa’s AirTag service.
For baggage rules, check-in and connections in detail, read our practical guide to Lufthansa flights, baggage, check-in and connections.
