Lufthansa unveils retro “parable” livery on Airbus A321 as airline marks 100 years of brand history
February 4, 2026
Lufthansa has introduced a new heritage aircraft design as part of its 100th anniversary celebrations, reviving a classic look from the airline’s visual history while also expanding its growing anniversary fleet, which features an oversized Lufthansa crane.
The German carrier revealed that an Airbus A321-200 (registration D-AISZ) has been painted in a historic “parable” design inspired by the 1950s livery of the airline’s classic Lockheed Super Star.
The freshly painted A321 made its debut flight into Frankfurt under special flight number LH9898, as part of a year of centenary activities focused on brand heritage and design.
What is Lufthansa’s “parable” design?
Lufthansa introduced its “parable” brand identity in the mid-1950s, then inspired by the streamlined design trend of the 1930s. The sweeping, curved lines signalled dynamism, speed, and a forward-looking approach. The “parable” lines appeared on the aircraft’s tail fins, baggage tags, business documents, flight schedules, and even on cigar bands.
While Lufthansa’s modern livery has evolved into a cleaner, more minimalist look centered around the iconic crane emblem and deep blue tail, the parable scheme reflects a time when airline liveries leaned into bold graphics and sweeping fuselage lines to project dynamism and prestige.
Applying parable styling to a modern narrowbody aircraft also allows Lufthansa to connect its design heritage directly to its current fleet, using a contemporary aircraft as a canvas for the airline’s evolving identity.
Lufthansa’s restored Lockheed Super Star coming to new Frankfurt visitor centre
The Lockheed Super Star, which joined the Lufthansa fleet in 1957, was recently restored and painted with a “parable” lines livery. It was also the airline’s first aircraft to offer Senator Class, the most exclusive travel class at the time. During its time in service, the aircraft primarily operated on competitive nonstop transatlantic flights to New York.
A restored Lockheed L-1649A Super Star will be on display alongside a Junkers Ju 52 in the new Lufthansa Group Hangar One—the conference and visitor centre at Frankfurt Airport—which is due to open in April.
Lufthansa’s XXL crane anniversary fleet grows: Munich just got a new “blue” A350
Alongside the “parable” heritage jet, Lufthansa is also expanding its “100 years” anniversary fleet, which commemorates the airline’s centenary with an XXL crane design applied to select aircraft.
Lufthansa said a newly painted blue Airbus A350-900 (registration D-AIXL) has now landed at the airline’s Munich hub, after being repainted in Châteauroux, France.
The A350-900 becomes the third aircraft to wear the special 100-year design. Lufthansa noted that a Boeing 787-9 and an Airbus A320neo—both based in Frankfurt—are already flying in the anniversary colours.
More widebodies are expected to follow, with Lufthansa indicating that at least one Airbus A380, one Boeing 747-8, and one Airbus A350-1000 will join the anniversary fleet in the coming weeks, extending the centenary branding across some of the most high-profile aircraft in Lufthansa’s long-haul lineup.
A centenary campaign built around Lufthansa’s evolving design
The special-livery aircraft initiatives complement Lufthansa’s wider “100 years of brand history” visual campaign, which revisits the airline’s most iconic design eras and reinterprets them for a modern audience.
The campaign includes eye-catching large-format displays which can be seen at Frankfurt, Munich, and Berlin airports until April 6. The airline plans to expand the campaign further during the anniversary year.
“Lufthansa’s 100th founding anniversary represents a history that is carried by people – by employees as well as by passengers who have placed their trust in the brand across generations,” said Michelle Mynhardt, Head of Brand Marketing and Customer Relations at Lufthansa.
Lufthansa’s centenary year takes off in 2026
Lufthansa is positioning 2026 as a milestone year that goes beyond marketing. The original “Luft Hansa” was founded on January 6, 1926, with the first official flight on April 6, 1926 — dates the airline uses to anchor the anniversary narrative.With both the parable heritage A321 and an expanding XXL crane anniversary fleet now entering service, Lufthansa’s 100-year story will be visible at the gate, on the ramp, and across its major hubs as the airline turns its aircraft into flying examples of brand history.
Featured Image: Lufthansa
