Historic Junkers Ju 52 Heads to the Lufthansa Group Conference and Visitor Center

Lufthansa has today announced that the historic Junkers Ju 52 has bid farewell in Paderborn-Lippstadt, where it has been stationed since 2020 for restoration, and will head to the Lufthansa Group Conference and Visitor Center in the coming weeks.

Lufthansa Junkers Ju 52 - Courtesy Lufthansa

On Monday (July 21, 2025), Lufthansa announced that the historic Junkers Ju 52 will move to the newly built Lufthansa Group Conference and Visitor Center in the coming weeks. The aircraft, affectionately known as ‘Aunt Ju’, has officially bid farewell in Paderborn-Lippstadt, where it had been stationed since 2020 for restoration by the Quax Association.  The classic aircraft remains the property of the Deutsche Lufthansa Berlin Stiftung (DLBS) and will be on static display in Frankfurt from 2026, just in time for the 100th anniversary of the founding of the first Lufthansa.

At the farewell ceremony in Paderborn, the Lufthansa Group paid tribute to the support provided by the Quax Association and Paderborn Airport over many years for both the Ju 52 and the Lockheed Super Star. The Quax Association will also continue to maintain two other DLBS aircraft in Paderborn, a Dornier Do 27 and a Messerschmitt Bf 108. 

Speaking at the ceremony, Lufthansa Group Conference and Visitor Center’s Project manager, Wolfgang von Richtofen, said,

“With our Ju 52, we are preserving the history of Lufthansa and aviation.  The historic aircraft will enrich the exhibition in our new visitor center as an essential exhibit and will be accessible to customers, employees, aviation enthusiasts, and the general public.”

Also commenting on the relocation of the historic JU 52, DLBS’ CEO, Werner Knorr, added,

“The departure from Paderborn is not a final farewell, but the beginning of a new chapter for the Ju 52, one that honors its history and significance for aviation.”

Since being introduced in the 1930s, the Junkers Ju 52 has become an historic symbol in the evolution of the passenger aircraft.  The Ju 52 joined the Lufthansa fleet in 1932 and quickly became the backbone of the airline’s fleet.  It accounted for around 50 percent of the fleet and was valued for its reliability and economical operating characteristics.  Originally designed as a single-engine aircraft, it was later developed into a three-engine model that was renowned for its robust construction and operational reliability.

Lufthansa Junkers Ju 52 (D-AQUI) Gallery - Courtesy Lufthansa

Located near the Lufthansa Aviation Center (LAC), the Lufthansa Group began construction of a new conference and visitor center at Frankfurt Airport in 2024.  It will be a place for new forms of collaboration for team members, customers, business partners, and aviation enthusiasts. Lufthansa's pioneering spirit and expertise will be tangible, especially in shaping the future of aviation, and in relation to the company’s rich history.  

The main historical attractions at the center include two restored Lufthansa aircraft on permanent display: the Junkers Ju 52, registration D-AQUI, and the legendary Lockheed Super Star with the registration D-ALAN, which is currently being painted at Münster-Osnabrück Airport. Thanks to a large transparent façade, both aircraft will also be visible from a distance outside.  Like Lufthansa Group's training and conference hotel, ‘Lufthansa Seeheim’, the Frankfurt conference and visitor center will also be open for external events and will offer visitors culinary delights in a coffee lounge.

Source: Lufthansa Group