Editing Lufthansa (section)

=== 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>