The keys have changed hands. The Lufthansa Group has taken delivery of its first Airbus A350-1000, and with it the 700th aircraft it has received from Airbus. Carsten Spohr, CEO of the Lufthansa Group, and Lars Wagner, CEO Commercial Aircraft at Airbus, were both present for the handover, which also marked 50 years of partnership between the two companies.
The aircraft is registered D-AIFA and carries the name “Deutschland”. It is the seventh and last aircraft in the Lufthansa fleet to wear the special livery for the airline’s 100th anniversary. On 11 November 2026 it is due to fly to Munich, where Lufthansa prepares it for its first passenger flight, to Tokyo Haneda on 3 December.
Starlink From the First Flight
The detail that matters most to passengers is not painted on the fuselage. From its first flight on 3 December, the “Deutschland” will be the first long-haul aircraft of the Lufthansa Group with the Group’s new Wi-Fi, which runs on Starlink. Lufthansa promises a connection that is in many cases faster than the one at home or in the office, good enough for video streaming and cloud-based work.
The price is the better news: the service is free for all Miles & More members and Travel ID users, in every travel class.
The Largest Airbus Customer
Lufthansa calls itself the world’s largest Airbus customer. Over the past 50 years, the Group has operated aircraft from every Airbus family, and it was a launch customer on numerous occasions. According to the airline, the 700th delivery comes exactly 50 years after the first, and in the year of the airline’s 100th anniversary. “Our partnership is a prime example of what Europe can achieve when it works together,” says Carsten Spohr.
For the airline, the A350-1000 is the new flagship at its Munich hub. It uses up to 30 per cent less fuel per passenger, according to Spohr, and it brings the Allegris cabins in all classes. The Group has ordered 15 of the type, to be delivered by 2030; the first ten will fly for Lufthansa from Munich.
The cabin itself, with 300 seats in four classes and three or four seats in First Class, is described in our earlier article on the first A350-1000 flight from Munich to Tokyo.
Lufthansa, Airbus A350-1000 “Deutschland”, first flight Munich–Tokyo Haneda on 3 December 2026 · lufthansa.com
Roger Hohl
Roger Hohl has been at the helm of Luxvisor since 2006. From his base in Switzerland he travels to test what the luxury travel industry promises, from the seat at 40,000 feet to the last course of a tasting menu, and writes about it with an independent eye.
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