@ San Francisco, CA
March 2026
A Lufthansa 747-8 bearing the name “Niedersachsen” on final approach to SFO, a rare sight here as only a few international carriers still operate the Queen of the Skies on routes to San Francisco. Even rarer is this special “Centennial Livery” Lufthansa is using to celebrate their 100th anniversary (1926–2026). This livery, applied to a special anniversary fleet, features a deep blue fuselage, a massive white crane logo spanning the forward section, and “100” markings on the sides and belly of the aircraft.
In 1918, architect and graphic designer Otto Firle made a simple sketch of a crane for Deutsche Luft-Reederei (German Air Shipping Company). It is intended to embody the combination of movement in flight and technical precision – a large, ascending bird that represents progress, elegance, and the new freedom of air travel. Lufthansa typically names their aircraft after German cities, plus some international ones. Since the first aircraft in 1960 (a 707 named “Berlin”) over 300 aircraft have been named, with 245 candidate cities still on the waiting list.
Lufthansa operates 18 of these newer -8I (Intercontinental) models, along with eight of the older 747-400 aircraft, having flown 747s in their fleet since 1970. Introduced in 2010, the 747-8 is the third generation of the 747, with a lengthened fuselage, redesigned wings, new engines, and improved efficiency. Production of the 747 finally ended in December 2022.
