Airline profile · Europe

Lufthansa

GermanyFull-service carrierStar Alliance memberSince 1953

LHIATA code

DLHICAO code

Lufthansa (IATA LH, ICAO DLH) is Germany's largest airline and the core carrier of the Lufthansa Group, flying from hubs in Frankfurt and Munich. A founding member of Star Alliance, Lufthansa Airlines carried 65.7 million passengers in 2025 with a fleet of 387 aircraft.

Direct connection available on ReservationHub

Founded: 1953
First flight: 1955
Headquarters: Cologne, Germany
Country: Germany
Main hubs: Frankfurt Airport (FRA) · Munich Airport (MUC)
Airline type: Full-service carrier
Alliance: Star Alliance
Loyalty: Miles & More
Parent: Lufthansa Group (Deutsche Lufthansa AG)
Ownership: Publicly listed. At the end of 2025 the free float was 85%; Kühne Aviation GmbH was the largest shareholder with 15.01%, and German investors held 72.7% of shares.
Callsign: LUFTHANSA
Website: lufthansa.com

How travel agents book Lufthansa

GDS distribution

Lufthansa content is available through Amadeus, Sabre and Travelport, but GDS (EDIFACT) tickets carry the Lufthansa Group Distribution Cost Charge (DCC).

NDC

Lufthansa Group runs an NDC Partner Program with a significantly lower charge than legacy GDS booking; ITA Airways content was being integrated into the group's NDC offer in 2026. As of 2025 the group said it was on track to handle 75% of bookings through NDC or direct channels.

Direct channels

Direct channels include lufthansa.com and the Lufthansa app, and the group offers agency booking without the DCC through its own agent portal.

Notes for travel agents

The DCC was introduced on 1 September 2015 at EUR 16 per GDS ticket. From 1 January 2026 it was EUR 18 (Amadeus), EUR 22.50 (Sabre) and EUR 23 (Travelport) per ticket, and from 5 May 2026 the Amadeus rate rose to EUR 19 (USD 22). It applies to Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian, Brussels Airlines and Air Dolomiti tickets.

On ReservationHub

Lufthansa is one of the direct airline connections listed on our integrations page, alongside GDS (Amadeus, Sabre, Travelport) and NDC content. Agencies get it in the SaaS platform; developers through the Travel API.

History of Lufthansa

The first Luft Hansa was founded on 6 January 1926 and flew for the first time that April. The company became part of the Nazi regime's war effort, was dissolved after 1945 and was later liquidated. Today's Deutsche Lufthansa AG was established in 1953, and flight operations resumed in 1955, including long-haul services to New York.

Lufthansa entered the jet age in the 1960s and introduced Business Class in the 1980s. In the 1990s it became a private company, spun off Lufthansa Cargo and Lufthansa Technik as separate units, and in 1997 co-founded Star Alliance with Air Canada, SAS, Thai Airways and United.

Over the following decades the airline grew into the Lufthansa Group, which today includes SWISS, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Eurowings, Discover Airlines and others, and in 2025 bought 41% of ITA Airways. Lufthansa received temporary state support during the Covid-19 pandemic and repaid it. Its current fleet renewal brings in Boeing 787-9s and Airbus A350-900s with the new Allegris cabins.

Milestones

1926The first Luft Hansa founded on 6 January.
1953Today's Deutsche Lufthansa AG established.
1955Flight operations resumed, including long-haul routes.
1997Co-founded Star Alliance on 14 May.
2015Introduced the Distribution Cost Charge on GDS bookings from 1 September.
2025Lufthansa Group acquired 41% of ITA Airways.

Fleet

Airbus A319 Airbus A320/A320neo Airbus A321/A321neo Airbus A330 Airbus A340 Airbus A350-900 Airbus A380 Boeing 747-8/747-400 Boeing 787-9 Bombardier CRJ Embraer E-Jets

Aircraft types in service as of 2025

Lufthansa Airlines had 387 aircraft at 31 December 2025, a count that includes its regional carriers and Discover Airlines. The whole Lufthansa Group operated 737 aircraft and held 219 firm orders for delivery between 2026 and 2032. The largest orders are for Boeing 737-8s, Airbus A220-300s, A320neos, Boeing 787-9s and A350-900s. All eight A380s were back in service in 2025.

Network and hubs

Lufthansa Airlines runs its network from Frankfurt and Munich, Germany's two largest airports. Across the group, the airlines served 313 destinations in the 2025 summer timetable, with SWISS, Austrian and Brussels Airlines adding hubs in Zurich, Vienna and Brussels.

Short-haul feed comes from Lufthansa CityLine, Lufthansa City Airlines and Air Dolomiti, while Eurowings flies point to point and Discover Airlines focuses on leisure routes. In 2025 Lufthansa Airlines carried 65.7 million passengers. Russian airspace remains closed to group airlines.

Lufthansa: frequently asked questions

What are Lufthansa's airline codes?

Lufthansa's IATA code is LH and its ICAO code is DLH, with the radio callsign LUFTHANSA. Its ticket prefix in the IATA register is 220. Lufthansa CityLine (CL) and Lufthansa City Airlines (VL) use their own IATA codes but sell flights under the LH code.

What is the Lufthansa Distribution Cost Charge?

The Distribution Cost Charge is a per-ticket fee the Lufthansa Group adds to tickets issued through GDS EDIFACT connections. From 1 January 2026 it was EUR 18 via Amadeus, EUR 22.50 via Sabre and EUR 23 via Travelport, and the Amadeus rate rose to EUR 19 on 5 May 2026.

How can travel agents avoid the Lufthansa GDS charge?

Agencies can book through the Lufthansa Group NDC Partner Program, which carries a much lower charge than legacy GDS booking, or use the group's direct channels and agent portal. NDC content is available through GDSs that support it and through NDC aggregators.

Is Lufthansa a Star Alliance member?

Yes. Lufthansa was one of the five airlines that founded Star Alliance on 14 May 1997, together with Air Canada, SAS, Thai Airways and United. SWISS, Austrian Airlines and Brussels Airlines from the Lufthansa Group are also members, and ITA Airways joined in 2026.

Where is Lufthansa based?

Deutsche Lufthansa AG is registered in Cologne, while its flight operations centre on Frankfurt and Munich. Frankfurt is the group's largest hub for long-haul connections, and Munich is the second hub, with a mix of European and intercontinental routes.

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Sources

Profile updated 4 November 2026 by the ReservationHub team. Airline details change: confirm schedules, fares and policies with the airline before booking. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.