HistoryLufthansa completes assembly of Junkers Ju 52 and Lockheed L-1649 Super Star aircraft
Lufthansa Group has completed the assembly of the Junkers Ju 52 and Lockheed L-1649A Super Star at its Hangar One facility near Frankfurt Airport. The aircraft were delivered in sections and reassembled on site with detailed attention.
The project aligns with the start of Lufthansa’s anniversary year, which commemorates 100 years since the founding of the original Deutsche Luft Hansa. The initiative underscores the group’s focus on aviation heritage.
Hangar One features a glass facade, allowing visitors to view the aircraft from outside the facility. This design aims to increase public engagement without requiring direct access to the hangar.
The Ju 52 joined Lufthansa’s fleet in 1932 and constituted about half of the airline’s aircraft at that time. The type played a central role in the group’s early expansion.
The L-1649A Super Star entered service in 1957, introducing the Senator class primarily for transatlantic flights to New York. Its entry marked a shift in the airline’s long-haul passenger offering.
The new visitor and conference center is intended as a collaborative environment for staff, customers, and aviation enthusiasts. The space supports a range of events and activities related to the group’s centennial.
Originally built in 1936, the Junkers Ju 52 D-AQUI was acquired by Lufthansa in the United States in 1984 and underwent a restoration lasting more than a year at the airline’s overhaul base in Hamburg.
The Ju 52’s 2016 flight season was cancelled after inspections revealed material fatigue that required a complex replacement of the wing spars. Lufthansa began restoring a Lockheed L-1649 in 2007.
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