Successful aviation doesn’t happen in isolation. For decades, the Lufthansa Group has recognized that the best travel experiences are created through collaboration, connecting airlines, technologies, and services to provide a seamless journey. The following three defining moments in the history of Lufthansa Group airlines have shaped the way business travelers fly today.
Alliances and Joint Ventures: From standalone airlines to a unified industry
1997
Founding Star Alliance
A defining moment for the aviation industry: Five airlines—Air Canada, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Thai Airways International, and United Airlines—came together to form Star Alliance, the world’s first and leading airline alliance. Decades later, travelers worldwide still benefit from this pioneering partnership.
Deepening ties
To reach new horizons, the Lufthansa Group participated in creating four Joint Ventures, partnerships between Lufthansa Group airlines and other leading airlines around the world. Fun fact: These Joint Ventures are still the most advanced partnerships in the industry today. Together, they moved the collaboration from simple codeshares to jointly managed schedules and pricing, focusing on a more satisfying and efficient customer experience for business travelers.
2010—Atlantic Joint Venture
This partnership between Air Canada, United Airlines, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Eurowings, Lufthansa, and SWISS provides numerous seamless connections across the Atlantic Ocean.
2012—Europe Japan Joint Venture
The partnership between All Nippon Airways, Austrian Airlines, Lufthansa, and SWISS adds more choice, more value, and seamless connections between Europe and over 50 destinations in Japan.
2017—Europe China Joint Venture
Perfectly connected, from planning to arrival. The partnership between Air China, Shenzhen Airlines, Austrian Airlines, Lufthansa, and SWISS offers a more flexible choice of route combinations between Europe and China.
2017—Europe Singapore Pacific Joint Venture
Stronger together—that’s the motto shared by Singapore Airlines, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Lufthansa, and SWISS to ensure optimized connections between Central Europe, Singapore, Malaysia, and Australia.
Beyond the skies
Today, we are celebrating many decades of aviation history and partnerships, and we are constantly looking for new partnerships to improve the whole travel experience.
Improving mobility
Over the years, we have developed an integrated travel ecosystem for business travel. Examples include collaborations with major tech companies like Amadeus and Google. And on a more local level, the Lufthansa Group has partnered with transportation providers, such as limousine services and local public transit.
Celebrating anniversaries
In 2026, not one but two founding members of Star Alliance are celebrating a 100-year anniversary: Lufthansa and United Airlines. The first Deutsche Luft Hansa and United Airlines’ predecessor, Varney Air Lines, were both founded in 1926.
