FRANKFURT, GERMANYThe last MD-11 aircraft registered in Europe – is now flying in a special design.



Lufthansa Cargo is expressing its gratitude for more than 23 years of loyal service and is sending its D-ALCC out on its final rotations to Cairo, Tel Aviv, Chicago, and New York with the greetings "Farewell" and "Thank you, MD-11" emblazoned on its fuselage. 

The type's active time with Lufthansa will come to an end with its last landing at Frankfurt Airport on the high noon of 15 October 2021.

The airline had introduced the MD-11 as new-build freighters in 1998, to begin gradually replacing a fleet of 11 747-200Fs.

Lufthansa Cargo subsequently added more MD-11s from the second-hand market as Boeing had ended the production of the type in 2000.

In 2007, the German carrier’s MD-11F fleet peaked at 22 aircraft. Meanwhile, Lufthansa Cargo’s MD-11F fleet declined from 12 aircraft in 2018 to a single unit today.