Is Lufthansa part of this theme?

Yes, twice among the largest sets: the Lufthansa Boeing 727 (1560-2) from 1976 and the Lufthansa Plane (40146-1) from 2015.

Can these planes sit alongside city airport sets?

They are built from standard pieces, so they combine easily with other airport and town models. The parts lists help if you want to rebuild or complete one.

Airlines

Sets: 16
Since: 1976
Newest set: 2015

For almost forty years, airlines have had their own brick-built aircraft made as promotional pieces. This theme lists 16 of them, dated 1976 to 2015.

Sets per decade

Sets per year

16 sets

2010s

Lufthansa Plane 40146 2015 67 pieces

2000s

1990s

1980s

1970s

About Airlines

Branded jets through the decades

Airlines is part of the Promotional theme, which covers sets made for partner companies rather than for regular toy shops. Each model carries the name or livery of a specific carrier, so the theme doubles as a small history of airline branding. The Boeing 727 appears twice in the early years: Lufthansa Boeing 727 (1560-2) from 1976 with 45 pieces and JAL Boeing 727 (698-1) from 1977 with 46.

Bigger models from the late 1980s

By the late 1980s the models had grown. Britannia Airways (1599-1, 1987) has 105 pieces, Air Canada Jet Plane (611-2, 1988) has 98 and Emirates Airliner (1973-1, 1989) reaches 139. The largest set is Aircraft and Ground Crew (Air 2000 Version) (2718-1) from 2001, with 144 pieces and, as the name suggests, staff on the ground as well as the aircraft. Airline Maintenance Vehicle with Trailer (1773-1, 109 pieces) from 1992 stays on the ground altogether. The most recent entry is Lufthansa Plane (40146-1) from 2015 with 67 pieces.

Completing a promotional plane

Promotional sets were never part of the regular range, so a missing piece cannot simply be taken from a boxed set. The parts lists show what each aircraft originally contained, which helps if you want to complete one or rebuild it from your own collection.

FAQ

Is Lufthansa part of this theme?: Yes, twice among the largest sets: the Lufthansa Boeing 727 (1560-2) from 1976 and the Lufthansa Plane (40146-1) from 2015.
What is the largest airline set?: Aircraft and Ground Crew (Air 2000 Version) (2718-1) from 2001, with 144 pieces.
Can these planes sit alongside city airport sets?: They are built from standard pieces, so they combine easily with other airport and town models. The parts lists help if you want to rebuild or complete one.