Lufthansa is the largest airline in Germany, and the second-largest in Europe. Some of Lufthansa's hubs are Frankfurt am Main and Munich, Germany. A hub is an airport where people who fly from one city to a second city can transfer or change airplanes. Lufthansa buys airplanes from Boeing and Airbus.

Lufthansa is the flag carrier of Germany. While it is a publicly traded company (Deutsche Lufthansa AG) and not directly owned by the government, the German state maintains a significant strategic interest and historically holds a minority stake, particularly after the 2020 stabilization measures. The airline is headquartered in Cologne, with its primary hubs in Frankfurt and Munich. It is the largest airline group in Europe when including its subsidiaries like Swiss International Air Lines, Austrian Airlines, and Brussels Airlines. Despite its multinational operations and diverse shareholder base, Lufthansa is legally and culturally identified as a German institution and is a founding member of the Star Alliance.