The first Airbus A350-1000 destined for Lufthansa has emerged from the paint shop at Airbus’ Toulouse facility wearing a special blue livery marking the German carrier’s 100th anniversary.

The aircraft features a large white Lufthansa crane, the markings “1926 | 2026” and the number “100.” A total of 432 litres of blue paint and 246 litres of white paint were used for the exterior finish.

The new aircraft will carry the registration D-AIFA and the name “Deutschland.” Its arrival in Munich is expected this autumn, once test flights, cabin completion work and the final aircraft acceptance process have been completed in Toulouse. An official naming ceremony will be held at a later date.

Lufthansa’s first A350-1000 will also be the 700th aircraft delivered by Airbus to the Lufthansa Group, giving the delivery additional symbolic significance in the long-standing partnership between the two companies.

The Airbus A350-1000 is 73.8 metres long, exactly seven metres longer than the smaller A350-900, which Lufthansa already operates on long-haul routes. In Lufthansa’s configuration, the aircraft will accommodate 300 passengers across four travel classes: First Class, Business Class, Premium Economy and Economy Class.

Lufthansa has ordered a total of 15 A350-1000s, with deliveries scheduled to continue until 2030. The introduction of the largest A350 variant will support the carrier’s long-haul fleet modernisation and gradually increase capacity on key international routes.

D-AIFA will be the seventh Lufthansa aircraft to wear the special livery commemorating the airline’s centenary. An Airbus A350-900, Airbus A380, Boeing 787-9 and Boeing 747-8 are already in service in the anniversary design, along with two Airbus A320neo aircraft operating on short- and medium-haul routes.

The special livery has attracted considerable attention from passengers and aviation enthusiasts around the world. With the arrival of the A350-1000, Lufthansa will add one of the newest and largest aircraft in its future long-haul fleet to its centenary collection.