Season 2
The Lufthansa Airlines podcast "Above & Beyond" provides exciting insights into the everyday life of Germany's largest airline, recounts historic moments in aviation history, and highlights future trends in the industry.
How does Lufthansa decide where to fly? Do data, politics, and history influence Lufthansa's route network?
How did a janitor's find become a historical treasure? And what do sick bags, share registers, and uniforms tell us about 100 years of Lufthansa?
What does a fleet need to be ready for the future? And how does flying change with each new generation of aircraft?
After a successful first season that shed light on current aviation topics, we are now looking back. We want to understand not only what aviation is like, but also why it is the way it is.
Different thematic episodes form a "comprehensive overview of 100 years of aviation." We also dare to look ahead, because history teaches us that those who set the course at the right moment will continue to fly. In producing the English version of the podcast, we relied on AI-powered translation technology.
Flying through the ages: In season 2 of Above and Beyond, Lufthansa experts talk about historical turning points, courageous decisions, and big questions about the future. From archive finds to hydrogen laboratories, each episode tells the story of how Lufthansa has changed over 100 years and what ideas could shape the coming decades.
The history of Lufthansa begins in 1926 – with a book, an idea, and a dream: flying. The airline's archive contains the first handwritten share register, in-flight tableware from the 1950s, and sick bags with the inscription: "Do not throw out of the aircraft after use." Archivist Luisa Schürmann and her predecessor Carola Kapitza take us on a journey through 100 years of aviation history and tell us how documents become living stories. (AI-assisted)
Manager History Communication Lufthansa
Former Head of the Company Archive (retired)
Chief Executive Officer Lufthansa Airlines & Hub Management MUC
The fleet is the backbone of Lufthansa – and at the same time a reflection of technological developments. From propeller planes to the Boeing 707, from the Airbus A320 to the A380: every new aircraft marks a milestone in comfort, efficiency, and planning. Carl Sigel, former Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Lufthansa Airlines, and Nils Lewe, until recently Executive Assistant to the CTO, provide insights into strategic decisions, technical upheavals – and the question of how aircraft are selected today for the future. (AI-assisted)
Pilot (retired), former Chief Operating Officer of Lufthansa Airlines
Executive Assistant to the Chief Technology Officer of Lufthansa Airlines (until March 31, 2025), First Officer A320
Historian, Göttingen and Gifhorn
A hundred years of Lufthansa – that also means a hundred years of states of emergency. From the hijacking of the Landshut to the eruption of the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajökull to the lockdown during the coronavirus pandemic: every crisis has left its mark – and changed the company. Historian Prof. Hartmut Berghoff and Lufthansa Chief Operating Officer (COO) Klaus Froese analyze what counts in acute situations, how crisis teams work – and how an airline builds resilience. (AI-assisted)
Professor of Economic and Social History at the University of Göttingen, Institute for Economic and Social History
Former Chief Operating Officer Lufthansa Airlines, Hub Management FRA & Accountable Manager Lufthansa Airlines, Captain of the Boeing 747 fleet at Lufthansa Airlines since September 1.
Passenger Services Professional and member of the SAT team
HON Circle Relation Manager and member of the SAT team
From Hamburg to Buenos Aires – with eight stopovers. That’s what a long-haul flight with Lufthansa looked like in the early 1960s. Martina Pichura, responsible for intercontinental network planning, and Magnus-Raul Abstoss, Head of Flight Planning for the Frankfurt hub, explain how Lufthansa’s route network has changed over the decades from a patchwork quilt to a global infrastructure. A historic journey from the home port of Hamburg to the hub system in Frankfurt and Munich. (AI-assisted)
Head of Scheduling Hub Frankfurt Lufthansa Airlines
Senior Manager Intercontinental Network Planning LHG
Historian
An old Airbus, a radical conversion, and an ambitious goal: Lufthansa Technik wants to use the Hydrogen Aviation Lab in Hamburg to find out how hydrogen can become the fuel of the future. Project manager Gerrit Rexhausen and head of innovation Hans Bernd Aringhoff explain how a decommissioned A320 became a flying test facility, what technical hurdles need to be overcome, and why hydrogen tanks, conditioning units, and digital twins play a key role in this. An episode about the courage to change—and why even setbacks are part of progress. (AI-assisted)
Head of Research and Innovation at Lufthansa Technik
Technology Scout Lufthansa Technik AG
Vice President Product & Customer Experience Lufthansa Airlines
Born in 1976, she is curious, outgoing, and infectiously cheerful. She is a freelance journalist and presenter with years of experience as a reporter and editor—both in front of and behind the camera. Among others, she has worked for RTL, Axel Springer Digital TV, Deutsche Welle, MDR, and, of course, ZDF. There, she hosted ZDF Morgenmagazin for almost a decade, was on the road for Auslandsjournal, and reported on election broadcasts as a reporter. Since 2014, she has been hosting the political talk show Fakt ist! from Magdeburg on MDR television. She hosts large and small events, political and less political discussion panels, and podcasts—all under the motto: There's a question for everything!
Holger Thurm, born in 1972, studied modern German literature and history before working as a radio journalist, presenter, and speaker for various German radio stations, including Bayern2Radio and NDR Kultur. Since 2016, he has been working as a communications consultant, podcaster, and novelist. He designs and produces corporate podcast formats and supports their implementation. He has produced several podcasts on behalf of the Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW). Previously, he had implemented an internal podcast for the Axel Springer Group as well as podcast formats for the Federal Center for Health Education (BZgA) and the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, among others.
In the opening episode of Above & Beyond Season 2, the former and current Lufthansa archivists provide exciting insights into the eventful history of the company. Among other things, they discuss finds with flying power, forgotten stories, and the clever janitor who almost threw away the founding document.
During a visit to Lufthansa's historical company archive, presenter Anja Heyde and archivist Luisa Schürmann discover surprising historical artifacts: from historical uniforms and old flight schedules to advertising posters from the early days of aviation. Each object tells its own story – and offers a very personal glimpse into 100 years of company and aviation history.
Carl Sigel worked for Lufthansa for 41 years – first as a pilot, later as Senior Vice President Operations and Chief Operating Officer. In the podcast, he looks back on the technological milestones of his career: from the first jumbo jet to the introduction of the Airbus A320. "The aircraft was completely different from anything we had seen before," he recalls. Today, he follows developments in aviation from a distance, but still with passion.
In episode 6 of Above & Beyond, Nils Lewe (center), Head of Operations Control Center at Lufthansa, talks to host Anja Heyde about the challenges behind the scenes of flight operations. Between microphones and headsets, one thing becomes clear: when there is a glitch in the system, a quick response is required. That's exactly what his team is there for, around the clock.
Klaus Froese, former Chief Operating Officer of Lufthansa Airlines, talks in the "Above & Beyond" podcast about his many years of leadership responsibility in flight operations – and about how to master challenging situations as a company and as a team. Whether 9/11, ash clouds or pandemics: in the third episode, he shares his experiences of how good preparation, clear communication and mutual trust make all the difference.
In episode 3, Hartmut Berghoff talks about the crises faced by Lufthansa – and what they reveal about economic resilience and corporate responsibility. The economic historian and professor at the University of Göttingen puts events such as 9/11, the coronavirus pandemic, and the oil crises of the 1970s into historical context – and explains why Lufthansa has repeatedly emerged stronger from exceptional times, thanks in part to government aid and smart leadership.
In episode 4 of Above & Beyond, Martina Pichura and Magnus Abstoß talk to host Anja Heye and Holger Thurm about what travelers often only see on the display board: the result of months of planning. Which airports play which roles? How are new connections created – and why do some routes never materialize? A look at the hidden logic behind Lufthansa's global route network – and at the everyday lives of the people who keep it running.
In episode 5 of Above & Beyond, Gerrit Rexhausen and Hans Bernd Aringhoff (right in the picture) talk to Anja Heyde and Holger Thurm about the Hydrogen Aviation Lab. In the studio, it quickly becomes clear that this is not just about new propulsion technologies, but about genuine teamwork, big ideas – and how a decommissioned Airbus is becoming a milestone for the aviation of tomorrow.
Head of News & Stories
Lufthansa Airlines Communications
In the first season, the people who shape flight operations day after day share their stories: from flight trainees to AI experts to the head of the traffic control center. In each episode, one of the five Lufthansa Airlines board members adds a personal touch to the podcast with strategic insights and outlooks. Journalist and radio presenter Lisa Ruhfus guides listeners through the podcast series.
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