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Lufthansa is one of the premier airlines of the world. It is a German airline (Deutsche Lufthansa AG) and derives its name from Luft (the German word for "air") and Hansa (the Hanseatic Trade Organization that was active in Northern Europe during medieval times). The airline is headquartered in Cologne and has its primary hub in Frankfurt.
Lufthansa was founded on January6, 1926 in Berlin, following a merger between "Deutsche Aero Lloyd" (DAL) and "Junkers Luftverkehr". The company's original name was Deutsche Luft Hansa Aktiengesellschaft. After the Second World War when Germany was divided into two parts, Lufthansa remained with the West Germany. Lufthansa was banned from flying into East Germany until the collapse of the communist regime. In June 2003 Lufthansa opened new Terminal 2 at MunichInternational Airport to relieve its main hub, Frankfurt.
Lufthansa is a founding member of Star Alliance, the largest airline alliance in the world. It has a fleet of more than 400 aircrafts. In India, Lufthansa, flies to Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, and Hyderabad. From December 2006 Lufthansa will also start flying from Kolkata.