Lufthansa Group’s City Airlines unit has received its first aircraft ahead of launching services in the upcoming summer season.
The CFM International CFM56-powered Airbus A319 is the first of four that the regional carrier is set to take.
The aircraft – which most recently flew for Eurowings – touched down in Munich on 9 January having received its new livery at a paintshop in Munster, Germany.
Lufthansa says the twinjet is still to have its interior retrofitted with Lufthansa colours and that it ”may be used for flight training” before entering service.
The A319s are a stopgap before City Airlines begins receiving Airbus A220s in 2026, from an order placed by Lufthansa Group in December.
The carrier – which will fly under the Lufthansa City brand – was established in 2022 and received its AOC in June 2023. It will operate from Lufthansa’s Frankfurt and Munich hubs, alongside regional unit Lufthansa CityLine.
Lufthansa Group chief executive Carsten Spohr has previously suggested City Airlines offers an alternative to CityLine, which will not be permitted, under a union agreement, to operate aircraft with more than 75 seats from 2026. All of CityLine’s current fleet of around 50 aircraft – including A320-family jets, Embraer 190s and Bombardier CRJ900s – exceed that seat limit.
Spohr also previously suggested that City Airlines would provide a home for pilots at the former Germanwings operation, which ceased flights in 2020.
