As Lufthansa approaches its 60th anniversary in 2015, the airline is highlighting its history with a new exhibition at Munich Airport. Titled “Service is Our Tradition,” the display features 60 photographs across six exhibition walls and traces the airline’s development beginning in 1955.
The exhibit places historical images of cabins, cockpits, stations and ground handling alongside contemporary photographs shot in similar styles, illustrating how Lufthansa has evolved while maintaining continuity. In addition to the photos, the exhibition offers context about workforce size, fleet growth and passenger numbers over the decades.
“Service is Our Tradition presents Lufthansa’s progress over the years in a very personal way,” said Thomas Klühr, member of the Board of Lufthansa German Airlines responsible for Finance and the Munich hub. “The photographs also make clear that one thing has remained constant: our service to customers. Values such as warmth, competence and professionalism have endured.”
The curated comparison of past and present images emphasizes both technological and cultural changes within the airline—from cabin interiors and flight deck layouts to ground operations and station environments—while underscoring the continuity of customer service as a core value. Visitors can see how uniforms, equipment and airport procedures have transformed, and how fleet composition and passenger volumes have shifted as air travel expanded.
By combining archival material with newly created photographs, the exhibition gives viewers a visual narrative of Lufthansa’s six decades. The arrangement of images on six walls encourages a chronological and thematic exploration, allowing guests to follow developments in aviation technology, service practices and airport infrastructure.
Beyond the visual display, the exhibition provides factual milestones and figures that chart Lufthansa’s growth. These details highlight the company’s increasing fleet size, the expansion of routes and hubs, and the rising number of employees and passengers served—context that complements the photographic story and helps visitors understand the scale of the airline’s transformation.
Located in a high-traffic area of Munich Airport, the exhibit makes the airline’s history accessible to travelers and airport visitors alike. It serves both as a celebration of Lufthansa’s past and as an illustration of how consistent service values have accompanied technological progress and organizational change.
As Lufthansa marked its 60th year, the exhibition offered a thoughtful look back at the milestones that shaped the company and a reminder that while aircraft and operations evolve, the commitment to passenger service remains central to the brand’s identity.