Editing Lufthansa (section)

== History ==
=== 1950s: Post-war (re-)formation ===
{{Rail freight
|title=Revenue Passenger-Kilometers, scheduled flights only, in millions
|float=left
|1955|78
|1960|1,284
|1965|3,785
|1969|6,922
|1971|8,610
|1975|13,634
|1980|21,056
|1989|36,133
|1995|61,602
|2000|94,170
|source=ICAO ''Digest of Statistics'' for 1955, IATA World Air Transport Statistics 1960–2000
}}
[[File:Convair 340-61 D-ACAD Lufthansa LAP 03.09.55 edited-2.jpg|thumb|Lufthansa's first aircraft, a [[Convair 240|Convair 340]] ''(type pictured)'', was delivered in August 1954.]]
Lufthansa traces its history to 1926 when [[Deutsche Luft Hansa]] was formed in [[Berlin]] by the merger of [[Deutsche Luft-Reederei|Deutscher Aero Lloyd]], [[List of airlines by foundation date|the world's sixth-oldest airline]], and [[Junkers Luftverkehr]].<ref name="lh_chronicle_1">{{Cite web |url=http://konzern.lufthansa.com/en/html/ueber_uns/geschichte/chronik/index.html |title=Lufthansa – Chronicle |access-date=10 March 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091010130610/http://konzern.lufthansa.com/en/html/ueber_uns/geschichte/chronik/index.html |archive-date=10 October 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Deutsche Luft Hansa was Germany's [[flag carrier]] until the outbreak of war when it came under the command of the [[Luftwaffe]]. During the war, the airline was focused mainly on aircraft maintenance and repair in which forced labor was employed on the site of [[Berlin Tempelhof Airport]]. Following the surrender of Germany and the ensuing [[Allied occupation of Germany]], all aircraft in the country were seized and Deutsche Luft Hansa was dissolved. The remaining assets were liquidated on 1 January 1951.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Starzmann |first=Maria Theresia |date=September 2015 |title=The Materiality of Forced Labor: An Archaeological Exploration of Punishment in Nazi Germany |journal=International Journal of Historical Archaeology |volume=19 |issue=3 |pages=647–663 |doi=10.1007/s10761-015-0302-9 |jstor=24572806 |s2cid=154427883}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Endlich |first1=St. |last2=Geyler-von Bernus |first2=M. |last3=Rossié |first3=B. |title=Forced labourers – Flughafen Tempelhof |url=https://www.thf-berlin.de/en/history-of-location/national-socialism/forced-labourers |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210224204414/https://www.thf-berlin.de/en/location-information/history-of-location/national-socialism/forced-labourers/ |archive-date=24 February 2021 |access-date=9 November 2023 |website=Flughafen Tempelhof}}</ref>

In an effort to create a new national airline, a company called '''Aktiengesellschaft für Luftverkehrsbedarf''' ('''Luftag''')<ref name=fi54>{{cite journal|title=We Call on Luftag|journal=[[Flight International]]|issue=5 February 1954|page=165|url=http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1954/1954%20-%200341.html|access-date=19 April 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130516094507/https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1954/1954%20-%200341.html|archive-date=16 May 2013}}</ref> was founded in the city of [[Cologne]] in [[West Germany]] on 6 January 1953, with many of its staff having worked for the pre-war Deutsche Luft Hansa.<ref name=":2">{{cite web |last=Hofmann |first=Sarah Judith |title=Why Lufthansa reduces its Nazi past to a sidenote |url=https://www.dw.com/en/why-lufthansa-reduces-its-nazi-past-to-a-sidenote/a-19115716 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210526145707/https://www.dw.com/en/why-lufthansa-reduces-its-nazi-past-to-a-sidenote/a-19115716 |archive-date=26 May 2021 |access-date=25 December 2020 |publisher=[[Deutsche Welle]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Rieger |first=Tobias |date=13 April 2020 |title=Kurt Knipfer |url=https://ns-reichsministerien.de/2020/04/13/kurt-knipfer/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220114034257/https://ns-reichsministerien.de/2020/04/13/kurt-knipfer/ |archive-date=14 January 2022 |website=Beamte nationalsozialistischer Reichsministerien |language=de-DE}}</ref>

[[File:Lockheed L-1049G D-ALAP LH RWY 06.05.56 edited-4.jpg|thumb|Lufthansa Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation operating a transatlantic scheduled service from Hamburg to Montreal and Chicago in May 1956]]
West Germany had not yet been granted full sovereignty over its airspace, so it was not known when the new airline could become operational. Nevertheless, in 1953, Luftag placed orders for four [[Convair CV-340]] and four [[Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation]]s aircraft and set up a maintenance base at [[Hamburg Airport]].<ref name="fi54" /><ref name=lex>{{cite book|last=Klussmann|first=Niels|title=Lexikon der Luftfahrt|year=2007|publisher=Springer|location=Heidelberg|pages=396–397|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kPlnjmHolcsC&pg=PA396|isbn=9783540490968|access-date=21 September 2016|archive-date=29 November 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231129001758/https://books.google.com/books?id=kPlnjmHolcsC&pg=PA396|url-status=live}}</ref> On 6 August 1954, Luftag acquired the name and logo of the liquidated Deutsche Lufthansa for {{DM|30000|link=yes}} (equivalent to €{{formatnum: {{#expr:({{Inflation|DE|30,000|1954|r=2}} / 1.95583) round -3}}}} today),<ref name="lex" /> thus continuing the tradition of a German flag carrier with that name.

On 1 April 1955, Lufthansa won approval to commence operation of scheduled domestic flights.<ref name="lex" /> The airline's initial network linked [[Hamburg]], [[Düsseldorf]], [[Frankfurt]], Cologne, and [[Munich]].<ref name="fg15041955">{{cite news |date=15 April 1955 |title=A German Airline Again |url=http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1955/1955%20-%200472.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141017210307/https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1955/1955%20-%200472.html |archive-date=17 October 2014 |work=[[Flight International]] |pages=472–473}}</ref> International flights started on 15 May 1955, to [[London]], [[Paris]], and [[Madrid]],<ref name="fg15041955" /><ref name="sp55">{{cite news |date=25 May 1955 |title=Die Tabellen-Piloten |url=http://wissen.spiegel.de/wissen/image/show.html?did=31970381&aref=image035/E0435/SP19552232-T2P-31970381.pdf&thumb=false |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111026051119/http://wissen.spiegel.de/wissen/image/show.html?did=31970381&aref=image035%2FE0435%2FSP19552232-T2P-31970381.pdf&thumb=false |archive-date=26 October 2011 |work=[[Der Spiegel]] |pages=32–40 |language=de |issue=22/1955}}</ref> followed by Super Constellation flights to [[New York City]] from 1 June of that year,<ref name="fg15041955" /> and across the South Atlantic from August 1956.

However, the political realities of the time presented challenges to the airline. The United States, Soviet Union, Britain and France did not allow Lufthansa to fly to any part of the divided [[Berlin]] during the [[History of Germany (1945–90)|division of Germany]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Archives |first=L. A. Times |date=4 September 1990 |title=Lufthansa to Begin Flights to Berlin |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-09-04-fi-589-story.html |access-date=5 April 2024 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US |archive-date=5 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240405182332/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-09-04-fi-589-story.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=TOLL |first=ERICH E. |date=2 May 1988 |title=BERLIN: LUCRATIVE FOR PAN AM BUT VERBOTEN FOR LUFTHANSA {{!}} Journal of Commerce |url=https://joc.com/article/berlin-lucrative-pan-am-verboten-lufthansa_19880502.html |access-date=5 April 2024 |website=joc.com |language=en |archive-date=5 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240405182328/https://www.joc.com/article/berlin-lucrative-pan-am-verboten-lufthansa_19880502.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The airline had hoped this would only be a temporary matter and planned to move its headquarters and primary [[Airline hub|hub]] back to the German capital once the political situation changed, plans that ultimately never came to fruition,<ref name="fi54" /> even after the lifting of these restrictions owing to [[German reunification]] in 1990 and the opening of the new [[Berlin-Brandenburg Airport]] in 2020.<ref>[https://centreforaviation.com/analysis/reports/lufthansa-continues-to-decline-the-opportunity-for-a-third-german-hub-at-berlin-626389 Lufthansa continues to decline the opportunity for a third German hub at Berlin]</ref> Instead, Lufthansa turned Frankfurt Airport into its primary hub in 1958.

The airline also embarked on a marketing campaign to encourage travelers to consider visiting West Germany as it rebuilt in the wake of World War II and to use its hub to connect to other locations across Europe. By 1963, the airline, initially limited in its public relations efforts, had become a major purveyor of West Germany's image abroad.<ref>{{cite book |last=de Syon |first=Guillaume |title=Selling Modernity: Advertising in Twentieth-Century Germany |publisher=Duke University Press |year=2007 |isbn=978-0-8223-4047-8 |editor1-last=Swett |editor1-first=Pamela E. |location=Durham, NC |pages=182–201 |chapter=Lufthansa Welcomes You: Air Transport and Tourism in the Adenauer Era |doi=10.1215/9780822390350-008 |jstor=j.ctv11cw9bp.13 |access-date=15 February 2022 |editor2-last=Wiesen |editor2-first=Jonathan |editor-link2=Jonathan Wiesen |editor3-last=Zatlin |editor3-first=Jonathan R. |chapter-url=https://www.academia.edu/15858180 |chapter-format=PDF |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220216042919/https://www.academia.edu/15858180 |archive-date=16 February 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref>

During this time, [[East Germany]] attempted to establish its own "[[Deutsche Lufthansa (East Germany)|Lufthansa]]" airline in 1955, but legal challenges from the West German carrier led to its abandonment.  East Germany subsequently launched [[Interflug]] as its national carrier in 1963.<ref>{{cite news |last=Petrykowski |first=Michał |year=2009 |title=Samoloty Ił-18 Lufthansy |trans-title=Lufthansa's Il-18 Planes |work=Lotnictwo |page=20 |language=pl |volume=12/2009 |issn=1732-5323 |oclc=749496804}}</ref>

=== 1960s: Introduction of jetliners ===
[[File:Boeing 707-330B, Lufthansa AN2025731.jpg|thumb|A [[Boeing 707]] at [[Hamburg Airport]] in 1984, shortly before the type was retired.]]

Lufthansa embraced the [[jet age]] in 1958 by ordering four [[Boeing 707]] aircraft. This marked a significant leap forward, allowing them to launch jet flights between Frankfurt and New York City in March 1960. To further bolster their jet fleet, [[Boeing 720B]] aircraft (a 707 derivative for shorter flights from shorter runways) were later acquired.<ref name=":6">{{Cite web |date=2025-03-13 |title=The History |url=https://cdn0.scrvt.com/fcc1c913dc63063c259fa05200249ccd/0b731d3206c7515e/bf1389bccf84/The-history-of-Lufthansa-Technik.pdf |url-status=live |website=Lufthansa Technik}}</ref>

Lufthansa's network continued to expand throughout the early 1960s. In February 1961, their Far East routes extended beyond [[Bangkok]] to include [[Hong Kong]] and Tokyo.<ref name=":6" /> Africa saw additions in 1962 with [[Lagos]], Nigeria, and [[Johannesburg]], South Africa joining the network.

[[File:Lufthansa Boeing 727-30C Fitzgerald.jpg|thumb|right|A Lufthansa [[Boeing 727-100]] approaching [[Heathrow Airport]] in 1978]]

Innovation continued with the introduction of the [[Boeing 727]] in 1964.<ref name=":6" /> This enabled Lufthansa to launch a pioneering [[Polar route]] from Frankfurt to Tokyo via Anchorage in May of that year.  Further expansion plans were solidified in February 1965 with the order of twenty-one [[Boeing 737]] aircraft, entering service in 1968.[[File:Lufthansa 737-130 D-ABED.jpg|thumb|right|Lufthansa was the launch customer of the [[Boeing 737]]. The image shows an original 737-100 at [[Hannover Airport]] in 1968.]]Lufthansa's role in Boeing's history is noteworthy. They hold the distinction of being the first customers for the Boeing 737<ref name=":6" /> and one of only four buyers of the initial 737-100 model (alongside [[NASA]], [[Malaysia-Singapore Airlines]], and [[Avianca]]). While NASA technically had the first built 737 airframe, it was ultimately delivered last and originally intended for Lufthansa, making them the first foreign launch customer for a Boeing airliner.

=== 1970s–1980s: The wide-body era ===
[[File:Boeing 747-230B Lufthansa D-ABYT, DUS Düsseldorf (Duesseldorf International), Germany PP1167230564.jpg|thumb|right|Lufthansa became the first European airline to introduce the Boeing 747 on regular passenger services in 1970. Seen here is a 747-200 at [[Düsseldorf Airport]] in 1985.]]
[[File:Airbus A300B4-605R, Lufthansa AN0481981.jpg|thumb|right|Lufthansa operated the high-capacity [[Airbus A300]]-600 on domestic and European routes until 2009. The image shows an aircraft of that type approaching Frankfurt Airport in 2003.]]The [[wide-body]] era for Lufthansa started with a [[Boeing 747]] flight on 26 April 1970. It was followed by the introduction of the [[McDonnell Douglas DC-10|DC-10-30]] on 14 January 1974, and the first [[Airbus A300]] in 1976. In 1979, Lufthansa and [[Swissair]] became launch customers for the [[Airbus A310]] with an order for twenty-five aircraft.<ref name=":6" />

The company's fleet modernization programme for the 1990s began on 29 June 1985, with an order for fifteen [[Airbus A320 family|Airbus A320s]] and seven [[Airbus A300]]-600s. Ten [[Boeing 737 Classic|Boeing 737-300s]] were ordered a few days later. All were delivered between 1987 and 1992. Lufthansa also bought [[Airbus A321]], [[Airbus A340]], and [[Boeing 747-400]] aircraft.<ref name=":6" />

In 1987, Lufthansa, together with [[Air France]], [[Iberia (airline)|Iberia]], and [[Scandinavian Airlines]], founded [[Amadeus IT Group|Amadeus]], an IT company (also known as a [[Computer reservations system|GDS]]) that would enable travel agencies to sell the founders and other airlines' products from a single system.<ref>{{Cite web |title=What is Amadeus |url=https://amadeus.com/en/about/overview |url-status=live |access-date=2025-03-13 |website=Amadeus}}</ref>

Lufthansa adopted a new corporate identity in 1988. The fleet was given a new livery, while cabins, city offices, and airport lounges were redesigned.{{Citation needed|date=March 2025}}

=== 1990s–2000s: Further expansion ===
Following [[German reunification]] on 3 October 1990, Lufthansa swiftly reintegrated Berlin into its network, marking the city's return as a key destination within 25 days.

The mid-1990s saw a period of strategic restructuring for Lufthansa. This involved the establishment of independent operating companies within the Lufthansa Group, specializing in areas like maintenance ([[Lufthansa Technik]]), cargo ([[Lufthansa Cargo]]), and information technology ([[Lufthansa Systems]]). Over time, the group further expanded through the addition of [[LSG Sky Chefs]] (catering), [[Condor (airline)|Condor]] (leisure travel), and [[Lufthansa CityLine]] (regional operations).<ref>{{cite web |title=The 1990s |url=https://www.lufthansagroup.com/en/chronicle.html#decade-1990 |website=lufthansagroup.com |access-date=25 May 2020 |archive-date=7 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200607174611/https://www.lufthansagroup.com/en/chronicle.html#decade-1990 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Lufthansa joined [[Air Canada]], [[Scandinavian Airlines]], [[Thai Airways International]], and [[United Airlines]] to form [[Star Alliance]] on 18 May 1997, the world's first multilateral [[airline alliance]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=1997-05-14 |title=United and 4 Others to Detail Air Alliance Today |url=http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F0071FFC345D0C778DDDAC0894DF494D81 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130130132618/http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F0071FFC345D0C778DDDAC0894DF494D81 |archive-date=2013-01-30 |work=The New York Times}}</ref>

Lufthansa actively addressed its historical legacy during this period. In 1999, the airline participated in a German initiative aimed at resolving wartime misdeeds, acknowledging the use of forced labor by its predecessor, Deutsche Luft Hansa. As part of the initiative, Lufthansa also reportedly paid tens of millions German marks.<ref name=":1">{{cite news |last=Steffen |first=Martin |date=14 March 2016 |title=Why Lufthansa reduces its Nazi past to a sidenote |work=DW |url=https://www.dw.com/en/why-lufthansa-reduces-its-nazi-past-to-a-sidenote/a-19115716 |url-status=live |access-date=9 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220309172056/https://www.handelsblatt.com/english/companies/world-war-ii-a-turbulent-legacy/23536960.html |archive-date=9 March 2022}}</ref> Additionally, a historical study was commissioned to shed light on this aspect of the company's past. However, Lufthansa was criticized for not publishing the resulting study for more than a decade.<ref name=":1" />

The early 2000s witnessed Lufthansa demonstrate remarkable resilience in the face of industry challenges. Despite significant industry losses following the 11 September attacks, the airline maintained profitability and strategically avoided workforce reductions.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Bamber |first1=Greg J. |author-link1=Greg J. Bamber |last2=Gittell |first2=Jody Hoffer |last3=Kochan |first3=Thomas A. |author-link3=Thomas Anton Kochan |last4=von Nordenflycht |first4=Andrew |year=2009 |title=Up in the Air: How Airlines Can Improve Performance by Engaging Their Employees |url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780801447471 |url-access=registration |location=Ithaca, NY |publisher=[[Cornell University Press|ILR Press]] |isbn=978-0-8014-4747-1 |access-date=16 February 2022 |via=the [[Internet Archive]]}}</ref> Lufthansa became the launch customer for the [[Connexion by Boeing]] in-flight internet connectivity in 2004.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Lufthansa makes the 'Connexion' |date=June 2002 |url=https://www.boeing.com/news/frontiers/archive/2002/june/i_cbb.html |website=Boeing Frontiers Online |volume=1 |issue=2 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211022145728/https://www.boeing.com/news/frontiers/archive/2002/june/i_cbb.html |archive-date=22 October 2021}}</ref>

Lufthansa further solidified its position as a major European airline group through strategic acquisitions. The acquisitions of Swiss International Air Lines in 2005, Brussels Airlines (staged between 2009 and 2017),<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.brusselsairlines.com/en-be/corporate/company/history.aspx |title=History of Brussels Airlines |access-date=15 February 2022 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220131142954/https://www.brusselsairlines.com/en-be/corporate/company/history.aspx |archive-date=31 January 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=28 September 2016 |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKCN11Y1IK |title=Lufthansa board approves Brussels Airlines takeover |work=Reuters |access-date=27 October 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161130162012/http://mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSKCN11Y1IK |archive-date=30 November 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Bryan |first=Victoria |date=15 December 2016 |title=Lufthansa takes over Brussels Airlines in Eurowings expansion |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-lufthansa-m-a-brussels-airlines/lufthansa-takes-over-brussels-airlines-in-eurowings-expansion-idUSKBN14410O |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161216144333/http://atwonline.com/airlines/lufthansa-acquires-brussels-airlines-become-part-eurowings |archive-date=16 December 2016 |access-date=9 November 2023 |website= |publisher=[[Reuters]]}}</ref> and Austrian Airlines in 2009<ref>{{cite web |last=Knight |first=Ben |date=28 August 2009 |title=EC greenlights Lufthansa takeover |url=https://www.dw.com/en/european-commission-allows-lufthansa-to-take-over-austrian-airline-aua/a-4607893 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211115161916/https://www.breakingtravelnews.com/news/article/green-light-for-merger-of-austrian-airlines-and-lufthansa/ |archive-date=15 November 2021 |access-date=8 November 2023 |publisher=DW}}</ref> expanded the group's reach and network capabilities.[[File:Lufthansa Airbus A380 and Boeing 747 (16431502906).jpg|thumb|right|A [[Boeing 747-8I]] and [[Airbus A380]]-800 of Lufthansa at Frankfurt Airport. The A380 and {{not a typo|747-8}}, together with the [[Airbus A350]], formed the backbone for Lufthansa's long-haul routes in the 2010s.]]

At the end of the 2000s, Lufthansa made a large commitment to very large aircraft, introducing the first of 14 [[Airbus A380]] in 2010 and becoming the launch customer for the [[Boeing 747-8I]] in 2012, eventually purchasing 19 of the type.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.aircraft.airbus.com/newsevents/news-events-single/detail/another-airline-enters-the-a380-era-as-lufthansa-receives-its-initial-21st-century-flagship-aircra/ |title=Another airline enters the "A380 era" as Lufthansa receives its initial 21st century flagship aircraft |publisher=Airbus |access-date=24 November 2010 |url-status=unfit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170902052932/http://www.aircraft.airbus.com/newsevents/news-events-single/detail/another-airline-enters-the-a380-era-as-lufthansa-receives-its-initial-21st-century-flagship-aircra/ |archive-date=2 September 2017}}</ref>

=== 2010s: Losses and strikes ===
In 2011 Lufthansa planned significant growth at [[Berlin Brandenburg Airport]] for the originally planned opening in 2012 with many new connections from Berlin.<ref>{{cite press release| url=http://www.lufthansagroup.com/nc/en/press/news-releases/singleview/archive/2011/november/10/article/2027.html?cHash=9a0d7e52afbadb51843320bd7c735c38&sword_list%5B0%5D=add&sword_list%5B1%5D=flights&sword_list%5B2%5D=tegel| title=Lufthansa is growing in Berlin| publisher=Lufthansa| date=10 November 2011| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140808033024/http://www.lufthansagroup.com/nc/en/press/news-releases/singleview/archive/2011/november/10/article/2027.html?cHash=9a0d7e52afbadb51843320bd7c735c38&sword_list%5B0%5D=add&sword_list%5B1%5D=flights&sword_list%5B2%5D=tegel| archive-date=8 August 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.airliners.de/lufthansa-setzt-in-berlin-auf-point-to-point/25650 |title=Spezielle One-Way-Tarife |date=9 November 2011 |language=de}}</ref>

After a loss of 298 million euros in the first quarter of 2010 and another 13 million loss in the year 2011 due to the economic recession and restructuring costs, Deutsche Lufthansa AG cut 3,500 administrative positions or around 20 percent of the clerical total of 16,800 in 2012.<ref>{{cite news |last=Webb |first=Alex |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-05-03/lufthansa-to-scrap-3-500-administrative-posts-after-losses-widen.html |url-status=live |title=Lufthansa to Scrap 3,500 Administrative Posts After Loss |date=3 May 2012 |work=[[Bloomberg News]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150407110437/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2012-05-03/lufthansa-to-scrap-3-500-administrative-posts-after-losses-widen |archive-date=7 April 2015 |url-access=limited}}</ref> Lufthansa announced a restructuring program called SCORE to improve its operating profit. As a part of the restructuring plan, the company started to transfer all short-haul flights outside its hubs in Frankfurt, Munich, and Düsseldorf to the company's re-branded [[low-cost carrier]] [[Germanwings]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=14 March 2013 |title=Lufthansa on course with its SCORE programme |url=https://investor-relations.lufthansagroup.com/en/news/financial-news/investor-relations-financial-news/date/2013/03/14/lufthansa-on-course-with-its-score-programme.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131012040059/http://www.lufthansagroup.com/en/press/news-releases/singleview/archive/2013/march/14/article/2388.html |archive-date=12 October 2013 |access-date=9 November 2023 |website=Lufthansa Group Investor Relations}}</ref>

In September 2013, Lufthansa Group announced its biggest order, for 59 wide-body aircraft valued more than 14 billion euros at list prices. Earlier in the same year, Lufthansa placed an order for 100 next-generation narrow-body aircraft.<ref>{{Cite web |date=19 September 2013 |title=Modern, quiet and environmentally efficient: Lufthansa Group orders 59 ultra-modern wide-body Boeing 777-9X and Airbus A350-900 aircraft |url=https://investor-relations.lufthansagroup.com/en/news/financial-news/investor-relations-financial-news/date/2013/09/19/modern-quiet-and-environmentally-efficient-lufthansa-group-orders-59-ultra-modern-wide-body-boeing.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131012071952/http://www.lufthansagroup.com/en/press/news-releases/singleview/archive/2013/september/19/article/2599.html |archive-date=12 October 2013 |access-date=9 November 2023 |website=Lufthansa Group Investor Relations}}</ref>

The group has had a long-standing dispute with the Vereinigung Cockpit union, which has advocated for a system in which pilots can retire at the age of 55, and 60% of their pay be retained. Lufthansa pilots were joined by pilots from the group's budget carrier Germanwings to stage a nationwide strike in support of their demands in April 2014 which lasted three days. The pilots staged a six-hour strike at the end of the summer holidays in September 2014, which caused the cancellation of 200 Lufthansa flights and 100 Germanwings flights.<ref name="LufthansaStrike">{{cite news |date=5 September 2014 |title=Lufthansa cancels over 200 flights due to pilot strike |url=https://www.dw.com/en/lufthansa-cancels-over-200-flights-due-to-pilot-strike/a-17903877 |url-status=live |publisher=[[Deutsche Welle]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210525032047/https://www.dw.com/en/lufthansa-cancels-over-200-flights-due-to-pilot-strike/a-17903877 |archive-date=25 May 2021}}</ref>

During the course of the [[2014 FIFA World Cup]], part of the fleet was branded "Fanhansa".<ref>{{cite web |last=Drum |first=Bruce |date=13 May 2014 |title=Lufthansa to rename 8 aircraft "Fanhansa" for the 2014 FIFA World Cup |url=http://worldairlinenews.com/2014/05/13/lufthansa-to-renamed-8-aircraft-fanhansa-for-the-2014-fifa-world-cup/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140720014339/http://worldairlinenews.com/2014/05/13/lufthansa-to-renamed-8-aircraft-fanhansa-for-the-2014-fifa-world-cup/ |archive-date=20 July 2014}}</ref>

In November 2014, Lufthansa signed an outsourcing deal worth $1.25 billion with [[IBM]] that will see the US company take over the airline's IT infrastructure services division and staff.<ref>{{cite news |last=Bryan |first=Victoria |editor-last=Heavens |editor-first=Louise |date=18 November 2014 |title=Lufthansa signs $1.25 billion outsourcing deal with IBM |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-lufthansa-ibm-outsourcing-idUSKCN0J20PV20141118 |url-status=live |work=Reuters |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211010010805/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-lufthansa-ibm-outsourcing-idUSKCN0J20PV20141118 |archive-date=10 October 2021}}</ref>

{{Main|Germanwings Flight 9525}}
Carsten Spohr, Lufthansa's CEO, called the March 2015 [[Germanwings Flight 9525]] incident, "the darkest day for Lufthansa in its 60-year history", when pilot Andreas Lubitz intentionally flew an aircraft into a mountain, murdering 149 passengers.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.itv.com/news/update/2015-03-25/lufthansa-boss-says-past-hours-darkest-in-60-year-history/ |url-status=live |title=Lufthansa boss says past hours 'darkest in 60-year history' |work=[[ITV News]] |date=25 March 2015 |access-date=25 March 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220108233033/https://www.itv.com/news/update/2015-03-25/lufthansa-boss-says-past-hours-darkest-in-60-year-history/ |archive-date=8 January 2022}}</ref> Nonetheless, damage control by Spohr and his team was poor according to several sources. It was revealed that Lubitz suffered from a severe case of depression and mental disorders and had intentionally crashed Germanwings Flight 9525 into the French Alps, killing all 150 aboard whereas Spohr had misleadingly said the co-pilot "was 100% airworthy without any restrictions, without any conditions".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/lufthansa-chief-holds-up-under-pressure-1427907064 |title=Lufthansa Chief Carsten Spohr Under Spotlight After Germanwings Crash |newspaper=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |date=1 April 2015 |access-date=8 May 2015 |url-access=subscription |archive-date=13 September 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180913080040/https://www.wsj.com/articles/lufthansa-chief-holds-up-under-pressure-1427907064 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In June 2015, Lufthansa announced plans to close its small long-haul base at [[Düsseldorf Airport]] for economic reasons by October 2015. At the time, the base consisted of two [[Airbus A340-300]]s rotating between [[Newark, New Jersey|Newark]] and [[Chicago]]. As a result, service to Chicago from Düsseldorf was first made seasonal, suspended for the winter 2015 season, and then canceled altogether.<ref>{{cite news |date=29 June 2015 |title=Lufthansa löst Langstreckenbasis Düsseldorf auf |trans-title=Lufthansa dissolves Düsseldorf long-haul base |url=https://www.aero.de/news-21968/Lufthansa-loest-Langstreckenbasis-Duesseldorf-auf.html |url-status=live |work=aero.de |language=de |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210205011528/https://www.aero.de/news-21968/Lufthansa-loest-Langstreckenbasis-Duesseldorf-auf.html |archive-date=5 February 2021}}</ref> Service to Newark, however, was initially maintained. From the winter 2015 schedule through the end of the winter 2016 schedule, Düsseldorf was served by aircraft which also flew the Munich-Newark route. The Düsseldorf-Newark route ended on 30 November 2018, which was operated with an Airbus A330-300 aircraft.<ref>{{cite news |last=Liu |first=Jim |date=24 September 2018 |title=Eurowings replaces Lufthansa Dusseldorf – Newark service from Dec 2018 |url=https://www.routesonline.com/news/38/airlineroute/280627/eurowings-replaces-lufthansa-dusseldorf-newark-service-from-dec-2018/ |url-status=live |work=Routes |publisher=[[Informa]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220119050239/https://www.routesonline.com/news/38/airlineroute/280627/eurowings-replaces-lufthansa-dusseldorf-newark-service-from-dec-2018/ |archive-date=19 January 2022}}</ref> Their base was officially closed in March 2019.<ref name="rp-online">{{cite news |last=Kowalewsky |first=Reinhard |date=12 March 2018 |title=Lufthansa schließt Basis in Düsseldorf |trans-title=Lufthansa closes base in Düsseldorf |url=https://rp-online.de/wirtschaft/lufthansa-schliesst-basis-in-duesseldorf_aid-19052213 |url-status=live |work=[[Rheinische Post]] |language=de |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201129192335/https://rp-online.de/wirtschaft/lufthansa-schliesst-basis-in-duesseldorf_aid-19052213 |archive-date=29 November 2020}}</ref><ref name="nrz.de">{{cite news |last=Middeldorf |first=Götz |date=22 August 2018 |title=Lufthansa verlässt am 30. März 2019 Düsseldorf endgültig |trans-title=Lufthansa leaves Düsseldorf on 31 March 2019 |url=https://www.nrz.de/staedte/duesseldorf/lufthansa-verlaesst-duesseldorf-endgueltig-id215141419.html |url-status=live |work=[[Neue Ruhr Zeitung]] |language=de |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180823213158/https://www.nrz.de/staedte/duesseldorf/lufthansa-verlaesst-duesseldorf-endgueltig-id215141419.html |archive-date=23 August 2018 |url-access=subscription}}</ref>

On 22 March 2016, Lufthansa ended [[Boeing 737-500]] operations.<ref name="auto">{{cite news |date=24 March 2016 |orig-date= |title=Lufthansa ends B737-500 operations |url=https://www.ch-aviation.com/portal/news/44986-lufthansa-ends-b737-500-operations |url-status=live |work=ch-aviation |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210423173041/https://www.ch-aviation.com/portal/news/44986-lufthansa-ends-b737-500-operations |archive-date=23 April 2021}}</ref> The airline's last Boeing 737 (a 737-300) was retired on 29 October 2016, after a flight from [[Milan]] to Frankfurt. Lufthansa operated the 737 in several variants for almost 50 years, the first aircraft having been delivered on 27 December 1967.<ref name="737retirement">{{cite news |last=Hofmann |first=Kurt |date=28 October 2016 |title=Lufthansa phases out last Boeing 737 after nearly 50 years |work=[[Aviation Week Network]] |url=https://aviationweek.com/air-transport/aircraft-propulsion/lufthansa-phases-out-last-boeing-737-after-nearly-50-years |url-status=live |access-date=9 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161029113456/http://atwonline.com/airframes/lufthansa-phases-out-last-boeing-737-after-nearly-50-years |archive-date=29 October 2016}}</ref>

On 1 September 2015, Lufthansa implemented a 16 euro surcharge on [[Global Distribution System]] bookings. The surcharge is payable unless tickets are purchased from the airline's website, or its airport service centres and ticket counters. Amadeus said the new model would make "comparison and transparency more difficult because travellers will now be forced to go to multiple channels to search for the best fares."<ref>{{cite news |last=Jainchill |first=Johanna |date=2 June 2015 |title=Lufthansa to add surcharge for GDS bookings |url=https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Airline-News/Lufthansa-to-charge-fee-for-GDS-bookings |url-status=live |work=Travel Weekly |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210914180928/https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Airline-News/Lufthansa-to-charge-fee-for-GDS-bookings |archive-date=14 September 2021 |access-date=24 October 2015}}</ref> For the period between 1–14 September, the airline experienced a 16.1% drop in revenue, indicating to some that the new fee backfired, although the airline maintains that the decrease was due to the pilot strike, and "other seasonal effects".<ref>{{cite news |last=Silk |first=Robert |date=25 September 2015 |title=Lufthansa disputes report that GDS bookings are way down |url=https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Travel-Agent-Issues/Lufthansa-disputes-report-that-says-GDS-bookings-are-way-down |url-status=live |work=Travel Weekly |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151009101626/https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Travel-Agent-Issues/Lufthansa-disputes-report-that-says-GDS-bookings-are-way-down |archive-date=9 October 2015 |access-date=24 October 2015}}</ref>

In October 2017, Lufthansa took over 81 aircraft from the insolvent [[Air Berlin]]. The total purchase price for the shares acquired by Lufthansa from the insolvency estate of Air Berlin amounted to around 210 million euros.<ref name="AirBerlin1" />

On 4 December 2017, Lufthansa became the first European airline to receive the [[Skytrax]] 5-star certification.<ref>{{cite news |last=Schlautmann |first=Christoph |date=4 December 2017 |title=Skytrax-Auszeichnung: Lufthansa ergattert den fünften Stern |script-title= |trans-title=Skytrax Award: Lufthansa gets its fifth star |url=https://www.wiwo.de/unternehmen/handel/skytrax-auszeichnung-lufthansa-ergattert-den-fuenften-stern/20667716.html |url-status=live |work=[[Wirtschaftswoche]] |language=de |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211112141642/https://www.wiwo.de/unternehmen/handel/skytrax-auszeichnung-lufthansa-ergattert-den-fuenften-stern/20667716.html |archive-date=12 November 2021}}</ref> As stated by Skytrax, a key factor in the positive rating was the announcement of a new Business Class cabin and seating that was expected to be introduced in 2020.<ref>{{cite web |last= |first= |date=4 December 2017 |title=Lufthansa becomes first European airline with 5-star Skytrax rating |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/lufthansa-rating-idINF9N1NJ00F/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200815014033/https://aeronewsx.com/post/does-lufthansa-deserve-a-five-star-rating |archive-date=15 August 2020 |access-date=9 November 2023 |website= |publisher=[[Reuters]]}}</ref> While this makes Lufthansa the 10th airline to be holding this award, in reality the 5th star was given to a product that was supposed to be introduced two years after the evaluation.<ref>{{Cite press release |url=https://www.lufthansagroup.com/en/newsroom/releases/lufthansa-is-the-only-five-star-airline-in-europe.html |title=Lufthansa is the only five-star airline in Europe |date=4 December 2017 |type=Press release |publisher=Lufthansa Group |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220216022423/https://www.lufthansagroup.com/en/newsroom/releases/lufthansa-is-the-only-five-star-airline-in-europe.html |archive-date=16 February 2022}}</ref> In celebration, Lufthansa painted an [[Airbus A320 family|Airbus A320]] and a [[Boeing 747-8]] in the "5 Starhansa" livery.<ref name=":0">{{cite web |url=https://worldairlinenews.com/2017/12/09/lufthansa-celebrates-its-new-skytrax-5-star-rating-with-two-new-logo-jets/ |title=Lufthansa celebrates its new Skytrax 5 Star rating with two new logo jets |date=9 December 2017 |website=World Airline News |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211112141651/https://worldairlinenews.com/2017/12/09/lufthansa-celebrates-its-new-skytrax-5-star-rating-with-two-new-logo-jets/ |archive-date=12 November 2021}}</ref>

In March 2018, Lufthansa and other airlines like [[British Airways]] and [[American Airlines]] accepted a request from Beijing to list Taiwan as part of China.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3379415 |date=8 March 2018 |title=German companies Lufthansa, Mercedes-Benz and Bosch kowtow to Beijing |first=Keoni |last=Everington |work=Taiwan News |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210205022243/https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3379415 |archive-date=5 February 2021}}</ref>

In March 2019, Lufthansa ordered 20 [[Boeing 787-9]] and an additional 20 [[Airbus A350-900]] for its own and the group's fleet replacement and expansion. Also, the airline announced it would sell six [[Airbus A380-800|A380 aircraft]] back to Airbus, beginning in 2022.

Pro-migration activists from Germany have criticised Lufthansa for performing deportation flights on behalf of the German government.<ref>{{cite news |last=Klein |first=Thomas |date=2 February 2002 |title=Prozess:"Deportation class"ist zulässig |url=https://www.nd-aktuell.de/artikel/12105.deportation-class-ist-zulaessig.html |url-status=live |work=[[Neues Deutschland]] |language=de |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220216150946/https://www.nd-aktuell.de/artikel/12105.deportation-class-ist-zulaessig.html |archive-date=16 February 2022}}</ref><ref name="Asylum-activists" /> In 2019, 4,573 people were deported on their planes, while their subsidiary Eurowings performed 1,312 deportations.<ref>{{cite report |date=17 March 2020 |title=Kleine Anfrage der Abgeordneten Ulla Jelpke u. a. und der Fraktion DIE LINKE: Abschiebungen und Ausreisen 2019 |url=https://www.ulla-jelpke.de/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/KA-19_17096-Abschiebungen-2019-komprimiert.pdf |url-status=live |publisher=[[Federal Ministry of the Interior and Community|Federal Ministry of the Interior, Building and Community]] |docket=BT-Drucksache 19/17096 |access-date=16 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201026142208/https://www.ulla-jelpke.de/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/KA-19_17096-Abschiebungen-2019-komprimiert.pdf |archive-date=26 October 2020}}</ref> This totals more than 25% of deportations in Germany in 2019. At least two deportees perished during transport.<ref name="Tod" /><ref name="Asylum-activists" />

=== 2020s: COVID-19 pandemic and recovery ===
[[File:Flugzeuge.Lufthansa.P1056230.jpg|thumb|right|15 aircraft of Lufthansa that are parked at [[Berlin Brandenburg Airport]] on 21 March 2020 due to the cancellation of 95 percent of all flights of the airline on 19 March 2020]]On 19 March 2020, Lufthansa cancelled 95 percent of all flights due to a [[Travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic|travel ban]] because of the [[COVID-19 pandemic]].<ref>{{cite news |date=19 March 2020 |title=Massive Einschnitte: Lufthansa streicht 95 Prozent der Flüge – und fordert Milliardenhilfen |url=https://www.spiegel.de/wirtschaft/unternehmen/lufthansa-streicht-95-prozent-der-fluege-und-fordert-milliardenhilfen-a-72295369-7d85-484e-bf5a-513d37c797fc |url-status=live |work=[[Der Spiegel]] |language=de |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211112141642/https://www.spiegel.de/wirtschaft/unternehmen/lufthansa-streicht-95-prozent-der-fluege-und-fordert-milliardenhilfen-a-72295369-7d85-484e-bf5a-513d37c797fc |archive-date=12 November 2021}}</ref> Consequently, the airline incurred losses of 1 million euros per hour by April 2020. While Lufthansa reduced its costs throughout 2020, continuing health risks and travel restrictions still caused hourly losses of approximately 500,000 euros on average at the beginning of 2021.{{Cn|date=April 2025}}

On 14 May, Lufthansa Group announced that it planned to operate 1,800 weekly flights by the end of June.<ref name=LH-2020-05-14>{{cite press release |url=https://www.lufthansagroup.com/media/newsroom/north-america/2020/q2/20200514_Lufthansa_Group_significantly_expands_service_June_flight_schedule.pdf |title=Lufthansa Group significantly expands service with June flight schedule |date=14 May 2020 |publisher=Lufthansa Group |access-date=4 September 2024}}</ref> The company's recovery plans involved high-density cargo to replace paying customers.<ref name="cbcluft">{{cite news |last=Sevunts |first=Levon |date=14 May 2020 |title=Lufthansa prepares to resume flights to Canada in June |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/lufthansa-toronto-frankfurt-1.5570624 |url-status=live |publisher=[[CBC News]] |agency=[[Radio Canada International]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220206054759/https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/lufthansa-toronto-frankfurt-1.5570624 |archive-date=6 February 2022}}</ref> All Lufthansa Group required all passengers to wear a mask while aboard.<ref name="cbcluft" />

On 25 June, Deutsche Lufthansa AG shareholders accepted a {{currency|9 billion|EUR}} bailout, consisting of capital measures and the participation of the Economic Stabilisation Fund (WSF) of the [[Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy]].<ref>{{cite press release |date=25 June 2020 |title=Shareholders pave the way for stabilization measures |url=https://www.lufthansagroup.com/en/newsroom/media-relations-north-america/news-and-releases/shareholders-pave-the-way-for-stabilization-measures.html |url-status=live |type=Press release |publisher=Lufthansa Group |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210514163321/https://www.lufthansagroup.com/en/newsroom/media-relations-north-america/news-and-releases/shareholders-pave-the-way-for-stabilization-measures.html |archive-date=14 May 2021}}</ref><ref name="fazluft">{{cite news |title=Lufthansa-Aktionäre stimmen Staatseinstieg zu |language=de |url=https://www.faz.net/aktuell/wirtschaft/unternehmen/lufthansa-aktionaere-stimmen-staatseinstieg-zu-16832849.html |publisher=Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) |date=25 June 2020 |access-date=19 December 2020 |archive-date=7 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220207234204/https://www.faz.net/aktuell/wirtschaft/unternehmen/lufthansa-aktionaere-stimmen-staatseinstieg-zu-16832849.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://investor-relations.lufthansagroup.com/en/share-bonds/shareholder-structure.html |title=Shareholder structure of Lufthansa Group |access-date=19 December 2020 |archive-date=5 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211105145434/https://investor-relations.lufthansagroup.com/en/share-bonds/shareholder-structure.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bmwi.de/Redaktion/EN/corona-virus/economic-stabilisation-fund-esf.html |title=Economic Stabilisation Fund (ESF) |access-date=19 December 2020 |archive-date=26 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126221436/https://www.bmwi.de/Redaktion/EN/corona-virus/economic-stabilisation-fund-esf.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The measures, which passed after initial opposition by principal shareholder [[Heinz Hermann Thiele]], gave the government a 20% stake in the airline.<ref name="mw23">{{cite news |title=Lufthansa set for showdown with billionaire investor Thiele over $10 billion bailout |url=https://www.marketwatch.com/story/lufthansa-set-for-showdown-with-billionaire-investor-thiele-over-10-billion-bailout-2020-06-22 |publisher=MarketWatch, Inc |date=23 June 2020 |access-date=25 May 2022 |archive-date=8 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221108150026/https://www.marketwatch.com/story/lufthansa-set-for-showdown-with-billionaire-investor-thiele-over-10-billion-bailout-2020-06-22 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/24/business/lufthansa-bailout-heinz-hermann-thiele/index.html |title='We simply don't have any money.' Lufthansa shareholders approve $10 billion bailout |first=Hanna |last=Ziady |work=[[CNN Business]] |date=25 June 2020 |publisher=Cable News Network |access-date=25 May 2022 |archive-date=25 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220525163203/https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/24/business/lufthansa-bailout-heinz-hermann-thiele/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=25 June 2020 |title=Lufthansa bailout package overwhelmingly backed by shareholders |url=https://www.dw.com/en/lufthansa-bailout-package-overwhelmingly-backed-by-shareholders/a-53936823 |url-status=live |publisher=[[Deutsche Welle]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220204212122/https://www.dw.com/en/lufthansa-bailout-package-overwhelmingly-backed-by-shareholders/a-53936823 |archive-date=4 February 2022}}</ref>

In January 2021, Lufthansa CEO Spohr announced that the entire currently stored [[Airbus A340-600]] fleet will be retired with immediate effect and not return to service anymore.<ref>{{cite news |date=21 January 2021 |title=Lufthansa will 2021 aus der Krise fliegen |script-title= |trans-title=Lufthansa wants to fly out of the crisis in 2021 |url=https://www.aero.de/news-38351/Lufthansa-rechnet-mit-Erholung-im-Sommer.html |url-status=live |work=aero.de |language=de |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211225024648/https://www.aero.de/news-38351/Lufthansa-rechnet-mit-Erholung-im-Sommer.html |archive-date=25 December 2021}}</ref> This decision was later overturned, with several A340-600 aircraft returning to service in 2021 after several months in storage.{{citation needed|date=January 2024}} In June 2021, Lufthansa said it wants to repay state aid it received during the pandemic before Germany's federal election in September 2021 if possible.<ref>{{Cite news |date=18 June 2021 |title=Lufthansa aims to repay state aid before German election – CEO |url=https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/lufthansa-aims-repay-state-aid-before-german-election-ceo-2021-06-18/ |url-status=live |work=Reuters |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211010032738/https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/lufthansa-aims-repay-state-aid-before-german-election-ceo-2021-06-18/ |archive-date=10 October 2021}}</ref> Also in June 2021, Lufthansa said it would change its communications to adopt a more [[Gender-neutral language|gender-neutral]] and inclusive language. It will remove greetings such as "[[Salutation|Ladies and Gentlemen]]".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Mayer |first=Christian |date=19 June 2021 |title=Warum die Lufthansa jetzt gendert |url=https://www.businessinsider.de/karriere/lufthansa-gendert-wie-die-airline-ihre-passagiere-kuenftig-ansprechen-wird-a/ |work=[[Business Insider]] |language=de-DE |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220202162040/https://www.businessinsider.de/karriere/lufthansa-gendert-wie-die-airline-ihre-passagiere-kuenftig-ansprechen-wird-a/ |archive-date=2 February 2022}}</ref>

In January 2022, Lufthansa admitted it had operated over 18,000 empty flights to keep airport slots during the pandemic.<ref>{{cite news |last=Turak |first=Natasha |date=13 January 2022 |title=European carriers are flying thousands of near-empty planes this winter just to keep their airport slots |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2022/01/13/european-carriers-are-flying-near-empty-planes-this-winter-to-keep-airport-slots.html |url-status=live |publisher=[[CNBC]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220128164444/https://www.cnbc.com/2022/01/13/european-carriers-are-flying-near-empty-planes-this-winter-to-keep-airport-slots.html |archive-date=28 January 2022}}</ref>

In March 2022, Lufthansa originally confirmed that its entire [[Airbus A380]] fleet would be retired, having been in storage since early 2020.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.aero.de/news-42312/Lufthansa-loest-A380-Flotte-komplett-auf.html|website=aero.de|title=Lufthansa dissolves A380 fleet entirely|language=de|date=1 April 2022|access-date=2 April 2022|archive-date=1 April 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220401161717/https://www.aero.de/news-42312/Lufthansa-loest-A380-Flotte-komplett-auf.html|url-status=live}}</ref> This decision was reversed in June 2022, with plans to now return up to five aircraft from storage by 2023 to be based at [[Munich Airport]]. There is also an option to return all eight remaining A380 aircraft to service by 2024, as six of formerly 14 have already been sold.<ref>[https://www.aerotelegraph.com/lufthansa-prueft-noch-mehr-airbus-a380-zurueckzubringen aerotelegraph.com] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220630093258/https://www.aerotelegraph.com/lufthansa-prueft-noch-mehr-airbus-a380-zurueckzubringen |date=30 June 2022 }} 30 June 2022</ref>

In May 2022, [[Skytrax]] demoted Lufthansa from its aforementioned 5-star rating which it held since 2017 as the first European carrier to do so, to an overall 4-star rating.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.aerotelegraph.com/lufthansa-muss-den-fuenften-stern-wieder-abgeben|website=aerotelegraph.com|date=24 June 2022|title=Lufthansa muss den fünften Stern wieder abgeben|access-date=25 June 2022|archive-date=24 June 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220624220346/https://www.aerotelegraph.com/lufthansa-muss-den-fuenften-stern-wieder-abgeben|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2023, the airline was affected by an IT glitch, leaving thousands of passengers stranded around the world. According to the German air traffic control agency, the airline's flights were redirected from Frankfurt to other airports due to an IT glitch. The issue was reportedly caused after construction work cut through fiber optic cables in the city.<ref>{{Cite web |date=15 February 2023 |title=All flights diverted from Frankfurt amid Lufthansa IT glitch |url=https://apnews.com/article/germany-frankfurt-business-beff32ae1171779dcf30aaf1948d589c |access-date=15 February 2023 |website=AP NEWS |language=en |archive-date=15 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230215114017/https://apnews.com/article/germany-frankfurt-business-beff32ae1171779dcf30aaf1948d589c |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=15 February 2023 |title=Lufthansa: Flights cancelled and delayed after major IT failure |url=https://www.euronews.com/travel/2023/02/15/lufthansa-it-failure-causes-cancellations-and-delays-for-thousands-of-passengers |access-date=15 February 2023 |website=euronews |language=en |archive-date=15 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230215135208/http://www.euronews.com/travel/2023/02/15/lufthansa-it-failure-causes-cancellations-and-delays-for-thousands-of-passengers |url-status=live }}</ref>

In May 2023, Lufthansa Group announced an agreement with the Italian Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) to acquire a 41 per cent stake in [[ITA Airways]]. Part of the agreement allows Lufthansa to acquire the remaining shares at a later date. In May 2024, Lufthansa rolled out a new safety video in line with the Allegris launch.<ref>{{Cite web |date=29 May 2023 |title=Lufthansa Group reaches agreement on the acquisition of 41 per cent stake in ITA Airways |url=https://www.breakingtravelnews.com/news/article/lufthansa-group-reaches-agreement-on-the-acquisition-of-41-per-cent-stake-i/ |access-date=30 May 2023 |website=breakingtravelnews.com |archive-date=30 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230530131538/https://www.breakingtravelnews.com/news/article/lufthansa-group-reaches-agreement-on-the-acquisition-of-41-per-cent-stake-i/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 2025, some of Lufthansa's Boeing 747 would be refitted with its Business Class seats, being splitted into half, of which the first half included new luxurious seats, while the other half would still have the original first class seats.<ref name="Boeing 747s">{{cite web |last1=Cabin |first1=Lufthansa |title=Lufthansa Confirms Premium Passengers On Boeing 747s Will Have to Fight For Latest Business Class Seats That Will Only Fill Half The Cabin |url=https://www.paddleyourownkanoo.com/2025/02/11/lufthansa-confirms-premium-passengers-on-boeing-747s-will-have-to-fight-for-latest-busniess-class-seats-that-will-only-fill-half-the-cabin |website=PYOK |access-date=2025-02-13}}</ref>