Lufthansa has shown off an Airbus A321 painted in a vintage scheme as part of its centenary commemoration, although the initial ferry flight to Frankfurt was forced to divert to Dusseldorf.
The A321 – a 2009 airframe, D-AISZ, fitted with International Aero Engines V2500s – has been painted in the UK, at a facility in Norwich.
It features a livery matching that of the Lockheed L-1649 which Lufthansa has restored and is displaying to mark its 100-year anniversary.
But as the newly-painted aircraft neared Frankfurt on 3 February, poor weather at the hub meant the A321 crew had to divert to Dusseldorf.
Lufthansa says “heavy snowfall” at the scheduled landing time closed the airport.
The airline says the livery on the A321 was originally introduced in the 1950s and intended to reflect “dynamism, speed and a forward-looking approach”.
Lufthansa is painting a selection of other aircraft in its fleet – including Airbus A350, A380 and Boeing 747-8 jets – with a special dark blue-and-white colour scheme.
