Lufthansa flight tracker – live Lufthansa flight tracking

Track every flight worldwide here: Flight Radar.

To track a Lufthansa flight right now, use the live radar at the top of this page. It is a Lufthansa flight tracker in the most literal sense: the map is filtered to Lufthansa, so every aircraft you see is an LH flight in the air at this moment. Type a flight number such as LH 400 into the search box and the map centers on that aircraft with its route, altitude, speed and expected arrival time, or zoom in on Frankfurt or Munich and watch departures climb out live. Lufthansa flight tracking works in both directions: follow the flight you are booked on later today, or watch the inbound aircraft that will become your flight and see it approach the gate before boarding even starts. The map is a filtered view of the worldwide flight radar on our homepage.

Reading the Lufthansa flight number

Every Lufthansa flight carries the code LH followed by up to four digits. You will find it on your booking confirmation, your boarding pass, in the Lufthansa app and on the departure boards. The numbering follows a rough logic: the low three-digit numbers mark the intercontinental trunk routes, with LH 400 flying Frankfurt to New York JFK and LH 401 the same route back, while the higher three-digit and the four-digit numbers cover the European network and flights operated by partners. On the radar the same flight appears under the ICAO code DLH, so LH 400 shows up as DLH400; on the radio, pilots and controllers say “Lufthansa”. LH 400 and DLH400 are the same flight, and the search accepts both forms.

Codeshares play a bigger role at Lufthansa than at almost any other airline. As a founding member of Star Alliance, Lufthansa puts its LH code on flights operated by United, Air Canada and ANA, and the group sisters SWISS, Austrian and Brussels Airlines sell seats on each other’s aircraft as well. Within Europe, many four-digit LH flights are flown by Lufthansa CityLine or Air Dolomiti, which appear on the radar under their own codes CLH and DLA. If an LH-numbered flight seems to be missing from the map, check your confirmation for the operating carrier: the radar always shows the airline that is actually flying the airplane.

Is my Lufthansa flight on time?

The Lufthansa flight status shown by the tracker follows the real life of the flight, and it maps directly onto what the Lufthansa app tells you. Scheduled means the aircraft has not left yet and no delay has been filed, so the app still shows the timetable slot. Delayed means Lufthansa has filed a new departure estimate that replaces the timetable. En route means the LH flight is airborne; from then on the arrival time is calculated from the aircraft’s actual position, speed and the winds along the route, which is why the radar’s estimate often beats the one in your booking. Landed marks the moment of touchdown at Frankfurt or Munich, not the moment the doors open at the gate.

Two Frankfurt-specific things are worth knowing. First, taxi times are long: the runways lie well away from the Terminal 1 gates, and ten to fifteen minutes of taxiing after landing is normal. Second, if you are picking someone up, add the usual baggage margin of 30 to 45 minutes between touchdown and suitcases on the belt. A practical trick: click your flight’s aircraft on the radar a few hours before departure and see where it is coming from. An inbound aircraft still over the Atlantic when boarding should start tells you more than any status label.

Spotting the Lufthansa fleet on the radar

Lufthansa operates one of the most varied fleets in the world, which makes it a rewarding airline to watch. Short and medium routes are flown by the Airbus A320 family, from the A319 up to the A321neo. The long-haul fleet is where it gets interesting: Lufthansa is the largest operator of the Boeing 747-8 anywhere, flying it from Frankfurt on heavy routes to North America and Asia, alongside the Airbus A350-900, the Boeing 787-9 and the four-engine A340. The Airbus A380 is back in service too and flies from Munich.

Every aircraft popup on the radar shows the type code, so identification is simple: the 747-8 appears as B748, the A380 as A388, the A350 as A359. Geography helps as well. A jumbo departing Frankfurt westbound in the early afternoon is almost certainly bound for the United States, while the A350s and the A380 concentrate at Munich. Watching the heavies line up for departure on the Frankfurt radar around midday is one of the best free airshows in aviation.

Frankfurt and Munich: how the dual-hub system shapes your flight

Lufthansa concentrates nearly all intercontinental flying on two hubs, Frankfurt and Munich, and runs them in waves. Long-haul aircraft arrive in banks in the early morning, passengers fan out across Europe on connecting flights, and the westbound long-haul wave departs from late morning into the early afternoon. Flights to Asia and the Middle East leave mostly in the evening. On the radar the rhythm is unmistakable: around midday Frankfurt releases a stream of heavies toward the Atlantic within a couple of hours. Compare it with the American Airlines hub banks at Dallas-Fort Worth and you will see the same idea on a different continent.

For travelers this wave system has a practical consequence: a delay early in the chain can cost a connection, but the next wave usually offers a rebooking a few hours later rather than a day later. Many large cities are served from both hubs, so it pays to check whether your routing runs over Frankfurt or Munich. The airports differ in layout, and your aircraft type will often differ too, with the A380 and much of the A350 fleet flying from Munich. German-speaking readers will find the same tracker on our page Lufthansa Flugstatus.

Frequently asked questions

Which terminal does Lufthansa use at Frankfurt Airport?
Lufthansa departs from Terminal 1, which it shares with its Star Alliance partners. Schengen flights generally board at the A gates, non-Schengen and intercontinental flights at the B, C and Z gates. Distances inside Terminal 1 are long, so treat the minimum connection time as exactly that: a minimum.

Why does a four-digit LH flight not appear on the map?
Because the aircraft is usually flown by a partner. Four-digit LH numbers are mostly codeshares or regional flights operated by CityLine, Air Dolomiti, SWISS, Austrian, United or another partner, and the radar shows the operating airline’s code. Look up the “operated by” line on your booking and search that flight number instead.

How far ahead can I follow the aircraft that will fly my flight?
As soon as it is airborne on its previous leg. For a long-haul departure from Frankfurt that is often six to ten hours before your flight, when the aircraft is still over the Atlantic or Asia. Click your flight on the radar, read the registration, and watch that aircraft come in; if it lands late, your departure usually slips with it.

Why is my Lufthansa flight operated by CityLine or Air Dolomiti?
Lufthansa uses its regional subsidiaries for thinner European routes. Your ticket, flight number and frequent flyer benefits stay with Lufthansa, but the aircraft and crew belong to the subsidiary, and the radar shows their codes: CLH for Lufthansa CityLine and DLA for Air Dolomiti.