LTU International
| Company type | GmbH |
|---|---|
| Industry | Airline |
| Founded | May 1955 |
| Defunct | 2009 |
| Fate | Acquired by Air Berlin; brand discontinued and company liquidated |
| Headquarters | Düsseldorf , Germany |
Area served | Medium- and long-distance flights, primarily leisure destinations |
| Products | Air transport services (charter and scheduled flights) |
Number of employees | 2,892 (2007) |
| Parent | Air Berlin (from 2007) |
LTU International Airways, officially known as LTU Lufttransport-Unternehmen GmbH, was a German holiday airline based in Düsseldorf. It operated both medium- and long-distance flights with primary hubs located at Düsseldorf, Munich, and Berlin–Tegel. After its acquisition by Air Berlin in 2007, the LTU brand was discontinued by 2009, and the company was formally liquidated by April 2011.
Early years
Established in May 1955 under the name Lufttransport Union, LTU commenced its operations in Frankfurt and launched charter services in 1956. The acronym LTU stands for Luft Transport Unternehmen, which translates to "air transport company." Since relocating its headquarters to Düsseldorf in 1961, LTU expanded to become one of Germany’s leading leisure carriers, predominantly running global charter flights from Düsseldorf.
In 1983, LTU created a subsidiary in Munich called Lufttransport Süd (renamed LTU Süd later), which was fully reintegrated into the parent company by 1998. Its affiliated companies included Spain’s LTE (operating between 1987 and 2001) and Austria’s LTU Austria (active from 2004 to 2008). The airline’s signature red-and-white color scheme became a recognizable symbol within the German charter market.
In 1989, WestLB acquired a 34% shareholding in LTU. Two years later, in 1991, LTU introduced four McDonnell Douglas MD-11 aircraft, becoming the only German passenger airline to operate this model; these planes were transferred to Swissair in 1998.
By March 2007, the ownership structure consisted of Intro Verwaltungsgesellschaft holding 55% and Marbach Beteiligung und Consulting owning 45%, with a workforce of 2,892 employees.
Purchase by Air Berlin
In March 2007, Air Berlin purchased LTU for €140 million in cash, creating the fourth-largest airline group in Europe based on passenger numbers. Together, they transported 22.1 million travelers in 2006. The acquisition was intended to broaden long-haul service offerings and enhance presence at Düsseldorf Airport. While LTU continued operating under its own brand on leisure routes, flights to destinations such as the United States and China were rebranded as Air Berlin services.
In May 2007, LTU introduced an updated livery that retained its traditional red and white colors but featured a more streamlined design. This new look debuted on its twelfth long-haul aircraft, an Airbus A330-200, and later influenced Air Berlin’s corporate branding.
On 1 May 2007, LTU conducted Europe’s first Arctic & North Pole sightseeing flight departing from continental Europe—a 12-hour charter operated for Deutsche Polarflug using an A330-200. The flight carried 283 passengers from Düsseldorf via stops over Norway, Svalbard, reaching the North Pole, eastern Greenland, and Iceland before returning. This journey was filmed for the aviation documentary series PilotsEYE.tv.
By October 2007, LTU had established a third long-haul base at Berlin Tegel Airport, stationing an Airbus A330-200 there to serve routes to Bangkok, Punta Cana, and Varadero.
Cessation
In 2008, Air Berlin announced plans to phase out the LTU brand entirely and operate all flights under the Air Berlin name. The final flight using the LTU callsign—although painted in Air Berlin colors—occurred on 13 October 2009 from Montreal to Düsseldorf. By April 2011, LTU’s AOC had expired and the company was officially dissolved. Subsequently, Air Berlin ceased all operations on 27 October 2017.
Fleet
Over the course of its existence, LTU maintained a varied range of aircraft, which were incorporated into Air Berlin by March 2007:
| Aircraft | Quantity | Entry into Service | Withdrawal | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbus A320-200 | 12 | 1999 | 2009 | Transferred to Air Berlin. |
| Airbus A321-200 | 4 | 2001 | 2009 | Transferred to Air Berlin. |
| Airbus A330-200 | 8 | 2001 | 2009 | Transferred to Air Berlin. |
| Airbus A330-300 | 7 | 1994 | 2009 | Transferred to Air Berlin. |
| Boeing 747-200 | 1 | 1991 | 1991 | Wet-leased from Evergreen International Airlines due to delayed delivery of McDonnell Douglas MD-11. |
| Boeing 757-200 | 14 | 1984 | 2004 | Used in operations with subsidiaries LTE and LTS. |
| Boeing 767-300ER | 5 | 1989 | 2002 | Operated alongside subsidiary LTS. |
| Lockheed L-1011-100 | 9 | 1973 | 1995 | One aircraft lost in a maintenance fire in 1991. |
| Lockheed L-1011-200 TriStar | 1 | 1986 | 1995 | |
| Lockheed L-1011-500 | 3 | 1980 | 1996 | LTU was the sole German operator of this model. |
| McDonnell Douglas MD-11 | 4 | 1991 | 1998 | Transferred to Swissair. |