Jena, 16.07.2026 – The city on the Saale is once again represented on global flight routes with its own godparent aircraft. A state-of-the-art Lufthansa Boeing 787-9 ‘Dreamliner’ will henceforth carry the name of the Thuringian university city across the globe.
- Event: Commissioning of the new godparent aircraft ‘Jena’
- Aircraft type: Boeing 787-9 (Dreamliner) with registration D-ABQB
- Area of operation: Global Lufthansa long-haul flights
- Tradition: Third aircraft to bear the name of the Thuringian city
Modern Ambassador in the Sky: The Boeing 787-9 ‘Dreamliner’
The new godparent aircraft with registration D-ABQB is one of the most technologically advanced models in the Lufthansa fleet. The so-called ‘Dreamliner’ is characterized by a particularly innovative design: thanks to the intensive use of carbon fiber composite materials, the aircraft is significantly lighter than older long-haul models. According to the airline, this leads to approximately 25 percent lower fuel consumption and correspondingly reduced CO₂ emissions.
The D-ABQB will primarily be used on Lufthansa’s international long-haul routes. While the Zeiss-Planetarium was recently reopened after modernization in its Thuringian home, the new jet now connects continents as a flying ambassador, representing the name of Jena worldwide at airports in North America, Asia, and beyond.
Seamless Transition in the Tradition
The assignment of the new long-haul jet marks the seamless transition of a long-standing partnership. Just this May, the predecessor model—an Airbus A330 that also bore the name ‘Jena’—changed operators within the Lufthansa Group, leaving the name temporarily available. With the new Dreamliner, Lufthansa continues its established naming tradition. In total, around 300 of the airline’s aircraft currently bear the names of German cities or federal states to underline the airline’s regional ties.
🏛️ History: Over Three Decades of Sponsorship since 1992
The official sponsorship between Jena and Lufthansa has a long history, dating back to July 30, 1992. At that time, an Airbus A320 was ceremoniously christened with the name of the Thuringian city for the first time. Since reunification, the partnership has symbolized Jena’s close connection to national aviation. Over the decades, the name has been passed on to new, modern generations of aircraft to continuously make the city on the Saale visible worldwide as a center for business and science.
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Jena flies around the world again
Transparency note: This article was created automatically, editorially reviewed, and expanded with AI support.