Summary

  • Lufthansa first introduced the Fanhansa livery before FIFA World Cup in 2014 when the German national football team won the tournament.
  • The liveries continued to appear on the airline’s aircraft, with the exception being UEFA Euro 2020, which was initially postponed due to the pandemic.
  • The Fanhansa livery has returned for the upcoming UEFA Euro 2024 tournament, with the airline promising to introduce six aircraft with the special livery.

Once again, with another international football (soccer) tournament coming up where the German national football team will represent the country, the de facto flag carrier of Germany, Lufthansa, has introduced another batch of Fanhansa aircraft. In total, six of the airline’s aircraft would be rebranded to carry the Fanhansa name during the upcoming UEFA Euro 2024 tournament.

The livery, a wordplay with its Lufthansa name, was first introduced in 2014. Then, Brazil hosted the FIFA World Cup, and Germany beat Argentina in the final after extra time. While it was unconfirmed whether superstition was the reason the airline has continued introducing the Fanhansa livery for subsequent international football tournaments, the airline’s special name will return for UEFA Euro 2024, which will kick off on June 14, 2024.

FIFA World Cup 2014: Fanhansa’s debut

In a statement on May 13, 2014, Lufthansa said that it would become Fanhansa, swapping the liveries on a total of eight aircraft for the then-upcoming FIFA World Cup in Brazil. At the time, the airline pointed out that it was the first time in its 60-year history that the airline swapped out its name on the fuselage of certain aircraft in its fleet.

Lufthansa Fanhansa Boeing 747-8 at Frankfurt Airport FRA

Photo: Lufthansa

Still, Lufthansa detailed that the first aircraft to receive the Fanhansa sticker on the side of the fuselage was an Airbus A321, which had entered service with the special livery on a flight between Munich Airport (MUC) and Hamburg Airport (HAM) on May 16, 2014. In addition to the A321, the German airline repainted two additional short-haul and five long-haul aircraft with the Fanhansa livery, including Boeing 747-8s. Alexander Schlaubitz, the then-Head of Marketing at Lufthansa Passenger Airlines, stated that Fanhansa was more than a logo on an aircraft because it was a surprise for its customers and a thank you to Germany’s fans.

Aircraft with a Fanhansa livery in 2014 (data from planespotters.net)

Registration

Fate

Airbus A320

D-AIUD

Flying with Lufthansa

Airbus A321

D-AIDG

Stored at Frankfurt Airport (FRA) following an incident with a catering truck in January 2024

Airbus A340-600

D-AIHQ

Scrapped at Teruel Airport (TEV) in January 2019

Airbus A340-600

D-AIHN

Scrapped at Teruel Airport (TEV) in July 2020

Boeing 747-400

D-ABVS

Stored at Mojave Air and Space Port (MHV) in 2020

Boeing 747-400

D-ABVK

Scrapped at Tulsa International Airport (TUL) in 2015

Boeing 747-8

D-ABYI

Flying with Lufthansa

Boeing 747-8

D-ABYO

Flying with Lufthansa

“Over the coming days, we will be creating new travel experiences with a number of different promotions – there is no doubt that we will be flying the happiest fans to Brazil with Fanhansa, offering the best World Cup atmosphere and pure football fever. It will make Lufthansa the official carrier of all football fans.”

Related

A Look At Some Of Lufthansa’s Special Liveries

The German flag carrier has represented various causes with its non-standard paint schemes.

UEFA Euro 2016

According to CPD Football, Lufthansa introduced a Fanhansa aircraft to fly the German national football team for the upcoming UEFA Euro 2016 tournament in France. In addition to the Fanhansa lettering appearing on the side of the fuselage, the Boeing 737-300, then registered as D-ABEK, also had the names of around 350 fans on the fuselage.

Aircraft with a Fanhansa livery in 2016

Registration

Fate

Boeing 737-300

D-ABEK

Stored at Ahvaz International Airport (AWZ), Iran

At the time, Schlaubitz stated that year’s UEFA Euro campaign was ‘Everyone’s Fanhansa.’ The idea was that football fans would join the airline as the German national football team flies to France, while other promotions by the airline would also focus on football-loving passengers.

Lufthansa Boeing 737-300 Fanhansa

Photo: DFB

Related

Lufthansa Group Orders 40 Boeing 737 MAX & 40 Airbus A220 Aircraft

None of the Lufthansa Group airlines have operated Boeing 737 aircraft since 2016.

FIFA World Cup 2018

When Germany went to Russia to defend its World Cup title, despite multiple questions regarding the host country’s human rights record as well as involvement in military conflicts in Eastern Ukraine, Lufthansa introduced a different Fanhansa livery, pairing the wordplay with the word ‘Mannschaftflieger.’ A literal translation of the word means an aircraft of the (football) team, with the German national football team also being known as ‘Die Mannschaft.’

Aircraft with a Fanhansa livery in 2018

Registration

Fate

Airbus A321

D-AISQ

Flying with Lufthansa

Lufthansa Fanhansa Airbus A321 shutterstock_1122789716

Photo: balipadma | Shutterstock

Related

Aviation’s Relationship With The FIFA World Cup

The World Cup began in an era before mass air travel but has expanded considerably and now relies on aviation to be successful.

FIFA World Cup 2022

While it was unclear why Lufthansa did not introduce a Fanhansa livery for the UEFA Euro 2020 championship, which was postponed due to the pandemic from 2020 to 2021, the Fanhansa livery returned for the FIFA World Cup 2022, hosted by Qatar. The campaign used an Airbus A330-300, registered as D-AIKQ.

Lufthansa A330-300 sporting the Fanhansa livery

Photo: Lufthansa

At the time, the German airline said that Lufthansa was an example of openness, tolerance, and diversity, with the airline enabling people from all nations and cultures to connect, welcoming everyone aboard regardless of gender, age, ethnicity, religion, nationality, identity, or sexual orientation.

Aircraft with a Fanhansa livery in 2022

Registration

Fate

Airbus A330-300

D-AIKQ

Flying with Lufthansa

“And it is taking this same message – that Diversity Wins! – aloft and around the world, through the special “Fanhansa” livery which it has devised together with illustrator Peter Phobia and applied to its Airbus A330 D-AIKQ.”

Related

Lufthansa Prepares For World Cup Flights With Special ‘Fanhansa’ Liveried Airbus A330

The aircraft will take Germany’s soccer team to its Middle East training camp.

UEFA Euro 2024

Finally, the most recent Fanhansa appearance will be during the upcoming UEFA Euro 2024 tournament, which is scheduled to begin on June 14. Lufthansa announced that it had already painted one Airbus A320 aircraft, registered as D-AIZG, with the special livery. Planespotters.net showed that three more aircraft have been rebranded as Fanhansa aircraft so far, including two Airbus A321neos.

Aircraft with a Fanhansa livery in 2024

Registration

Fate

Airbus A320

D-AIZG

Flying with Lufthansa

Airbus A320

D-AIWK

Flying with Lufthansa

Airbus A321neo

D-AIEH

Flying with Lufthansa

Airbus A321neo

D-AIEO

Flying with Lufthansa

Lufthansa Airbus A320 with the Fanhansa livery

Photo: Lufthansa

In addition to the special liveries, Lufthansa said that it would introduce special headrests and food trays on the aircraft, with the carrier serving special chocolates on all flights. Furthermore, entrances to one of the terminals at Munich Airport (MUC) has a huge scarf on display. The airline’s route network inspired the scarf’s design.

Related

Fanhansa Is Back: Lufthansa’s 6 Airbus A320s Are Ready For European Championship

Lufthansa has previously celebrated football – soccer – tournaments with special Fanhansa liveries, including one for the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.


  • Tom Boon-169

    Lufthansa

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