Lufthansa Is Working On A New Hugo Boss Designed Flight Attendant Uniform… First In Over Two Decades

German flag carrier Lufthansa is reportedly working on a new uniform for tens of thousands of flight attendants, pilots, and other frontline staff, and the airline has tapped iconic German design house Hugo Boss to lead the project.

Lufthansa has apparently been secretly working on the project for some time and is getting ready to start testing the new collection in real-world wear testing trials, according to German-language aviation site Aero Telegraph.

The airline has had its current uniform for nearly 24 years, after working with two lesser-known designers in 2001 to develop separate male and female collections that feature dark navy blazers, white shirts, and blouses, and bright yellow accessories like neck scarves.

While we now know that Hugo Boss is designing the new threads, Lufthansa isn’t yet willing to provide any further information apart from confirming that wear testing is expected to get underway from September 1, 2025.

Wear testing will involve a small number of employees from various work groups, who will provide feedback on whether the uniforms are comfortable and fit for purpose in their respective roles.

A spokesperson for Lufthansa would not be drawn on a timeline for when the new uniform might be introduced, telling AeroTelegraph that a date for a full rollout was still open.

New uniform projects can be very lengthy endeavours, although Lufthansa shouldn’t face the kinds of delays that several major airlines faced when their new uniform plans were derailed by the pandemic.

Perhaps the best example of this is United Airlines, where a new uniform project kicked off in 2017 only to be marred by a series of delays before being completely suspended in early 2000 when the pandemic struck.

The airline finally got around to rolling out its new uniform a few months ago, but despite extensive wear tests, there have still been a number of teething issues – such as flight attendants being told to wear baggy dresses because the cut of the dress stopped wearers from raising their hands above their shoulders.

Whether Lufthansa opts for separate male and female collections again or opts for a gender-neutral option remains to be seen. In April, Air New Zealand revealed its new uniform designs that include gender-neutral options, allowing staff to mix and match certain uniform items to suit their identity.

For example, crew members can choose to wear pinstripe trousers that would traditionally only be for male flight attendants, coupled with a gender-neutral blouse featuring a bold print by tā moko artist Te Rangitu Netana.

Table of Contents

Matt’s Take

In my opinion, Lufthansa’s current uniform has survived the test of time and still looks pretty fresh, although that’s probably because it avoids trends and sticks to traditional suiting norms.

It will be interesting to see just how bold Lufthansa is willing to go with its new uniform, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see a gentle iteration on the current design, perhaps with some gender-neutral garments added.