End Of An Era: Lufthansa Retires Its Last Boeing 737

Feb. 4, 1968: D-ABED arrives at Hamburg Airport. The aircraft was Lufthansa’s second 737-100 following D-ABEC (delivered on Dec. 28, 1967), but it was the first to be ferried to Germany. The aircraft also was flown on the first scheduled flight from Frankfurt to Munich on Feb. 10, 1968. D-ABED was sold in October 1991.

Lufthansa traditionally names its aircraft after German cities. The “Wolfsburg” was delivered in April 1968 and stayed in the fleet until 1981, when most of the original 737-100s were sold and phased out. Just prior to the start of operations, in late 1967 the airline’s management decided that all 737s should have the additional designation “City Jet” to reflect their route network connecting European city destinations. 

D-ABEG, in service from March 1968 to May 1981, parked at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport. Lufthansa ordered 22 737-100s in total, the vast majority of the 30 original units Boeing built.

In November 1978, Lufthansa ordered 32 Boeing 737-200s, advanced to replace the -100 fleet. Among them was D-ABHW, delivered in 1982 and in service until 1998, pictured here at Lufthansa’s main base in Frankfurt.

Lufthansa also flew the cargo version of the 737-200. The aircraft was in service from 1971-1995.

D-ABMA was among the last six -200s to be delivered to Lufthansa in early 1985. Only a few months later, the airline placed its first order for the -300, of which it would take a total of 45. The first -300 arrived in August 1986

Lufthansa also operated 30 737-500s, all of which arrived in 1990 and 1991. The last of the -500s left the fleet in early 2016.

The 737-300 will have no direct replacement at Lufthansa. Most remaining 737 pilots are transitioning to Airbus A320-family flying, and some crews are moving to the Airbus A380 and Boeing 747 fleets.