Key takeaways
- German Airways is a wet-lease and charter specialist from Cologne and belongs to the Zeitfracht Group.
- Codes: ICAO GER (WDL until 2020), callsign “GERMAN EAGLE”, IATA ZQ.
- The fleet consists only of Embraer E190s – according to the airline nine jets with 100 seats each and no middle seat.
- Most flights operate for other airlines: mainly for KLM Cityhopper, since 2026 also for Condor on feeder routes to Frankfurt.
- The history goes back to 1955: the predecessor was Westdeutsche Luftwerbung (WDL) from Essen-Mülheim.
Contents
Profile
| IATA code | ZQ |
|---|---|
| ICAO code | GER |
| Callsign | GERMAN EAGLE |
| Hubs | CGN |
| Business model | Wet lease (ACMI) for other airlines plus charter, including for sports teams |
| Headquarters | Cologne, with close ties to Cologne Bonn Airport |
| Roots | 1955 as Westdeutsche Luftwerbung (WDL) in Essen-Mülheim, later WDL Flugdienst and WDL Aviation |
| German Airways name | Brand since 2019, renaming completed in 2020 |
| Owner | Zeitfracht Group (acquired WDL Aviation as of October 1, 2017) |
| Alliance | none |
| Fleet (according to German Airways, as of 2026) | 9 Embraer E190-100LRs with 100 seats each in a 2-2 layout |
| Key customers | KLM Cityhopper, Condor; the airline also cites Air France, Eurowings, Finnair, LOT, easyJet and SKY express, among others, as references |
| Memberships | IATA (since December 1, 2020) and the European Regions Airline Association (ERA) |
| Trademark | Dotted black-red-gold flag on the tail, winglets in the German national colors |
How to recognize the airline
Is that really German Airways?
- Tail with a dotted black-red-gold flag, but without the airline name
- Winglets in the German colors
- “Operating for KLM Cityhopper” titles on most aircraft
- Always an Embraer E190: twinjet with engines under the wings and a low-set horizontal stabilizer
- German registration with D-A… on the fuselage, such as D-AJHW or D-ABKE
- On the tracker as GER with callsign “GERMAN EAGLE” – the flight number, however, often comes from the customer
German Airways is one of those airlines you often see without noticing. KLM at the gate, Condor on the boarding pass – but the flight is operated by an Embraer E190 from Cologne. That’s exactly what makes German Airways exciting for spotters: if you only look at the flight number, you log the wrong airline. This page shows you how to recognize the jets, how to find them on a tracker and which special liveries are worth chasing.
Wet lease, logged cleanly in your hangar
With Planetrack you log every sighting with registration, type, airline and airport – so it stays clear that the KLM Cityhopper E190 actually came from German Airways. Planetrack is launching soon – join the waitlist and get early access.
German Airways at a glance
German Airways is a German wet-lease and charter specialist based in Cologne. The company address is right next to Cologne Bonn Airport, with which the airline is closely connected. The owner is the Zeitfracht Group, a Berlin family-owned logistics company that took over the predecessor WDL Aviation as of October 1, 2017.
The business model differs clearly from that of a classic airline. German Airways hardly sells any tickets of its own. Instead it provides other companies with aircraft, crew, maintenance and insurance – the so-called ACMI or wet-lease business. Added to that are charter flights for companies, tour groups, bands and sports teams. How wet lease works and why airlines turn to it is explained in the article Wet lease explained.
According to German Airways, the company is a member of IATA (since December 1, 2020) and the European Regions Airline Association. There is no alliance membership – but on wet lease it regularly flies in the network of airlines that belong to SkyTeam.
From aerial advertising to wet-lease partner
The roots of German Airways go back further than at almost any other German airline. On July 29, 1955, Theodor Wüllenkemper founded Westdeutsche Luftwerbung (WDL) at Essen-Mülheim Airport. It received an operating license as the second airline of the Federal Republic after Lufthansa. At first it was about advertising flights and banner towing; later company shuttles, special medical transports and cargo were added.
In 1974 WDL Flugdienst was created as an offshoot, later operating as WDL Aviation. Over the decades Learjets, Fokker turboprops like the F27 and finally the BAe 146 shaped the picture. The last Fokkers left the fleet in 2011, after which WDL was a pure BAe 146 operator – in total eight examples of the four-engine jet flew for the Cologne company. If you want to see the type today, the page on the related Avro RJ85 will help.
With the entry of Zeitfracht in 2017, the transformation began. In March 2019 the first Embraer E190 arrived, and the German Airways brand launched in the same year. In 2020 the renaming was complete, and the ICAO code changed from WDL to GER. Also in 2020 the airline introduced the Ligaflieger, its brand for charter flights with sports teams.
Beware of the name mix-up
The former Luftfahrtgesellschaft Walter (LGW), which also belonged to Zeitfracht and flew Dash 8-400s for Eurowings, briefly operated as German Airways in spring 2020. It ceased operations in April 2020. Photos of a Dash 8-400 with a German Airways connection therefore belong to that episode – today’s German Airways is the former WDL Aviation.
Codes and callsign
- ICAO code GER: appears in the air traffic control flight plan and on flight trackers. Before 2020 it was WDL.
- Callsign GERMAN EAGLE: how the crew identifies itself on the radio.
- IATA code ZQ: assigned to the airline but rarely shows up, because most flights run under another airline’s flight number.
With German Airways in particular, the difference between flight number and callsign is worth knowing. A flight with a KL number on the ticket can appear on the tracker as GER, and so can a Condor flight with a DE number. How flight number and callsign relate is shown in the article Callsign vs. flight number; an overview of the code system is given in IATA and ICAO codes explained.
Reading the tracker correctly
If you search the tracker for KLM Cityhopper flights and see an E190 with a German registration, take a look at the callsign: if it says GER, German Airways is flying. How to interpret ADS-B data cleanly is explained in the guide to flight tracking for spotters.
The fleet: only Embraer E190s
The fleet is quickly explained – and that’s exactly why it’s easy to collect. According to the airline’s fleet page, it looks like this in 2026:
| Type | Number | Seats | Layout | Spotter note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Embraer E190-100LR | 9 | 100 | 2-2, no middle seat | Long-range version of the E190, range over 4,500 km according to the airline |
For the summer 2026 schedule, German Airways added another aircraft with the registration D-ABKE to the fleet. The jets carry German registrations in the format D-A…, including D-AJHW, D-ACJJ and D-AMWO. A Pilatus PC-12, which was still part of the fleet for charter flights in 2021, is no longer listed on the fleet page.
The Embraer E190 belongs to the first E-Jet generation of the Brazilian manufacturer. For a wet-lease company it is ideal: big enough for well-filled European routes, small enough for thin routes that wouldn’t pay off with an A320 or a 737.
All nine E190s in sight
Put individual registrations like D-AJHW on your wish list and get notified when they approach or land near you. Planetrack is launching soon – join the waitlist.
E190 or another regional jet?
On approach, regional jets look alike. A few features help you place the German Airways E190 reliably.
Points to an E190
- Two engines under the wings, not at the rear
- Low-set horizontal stabilizer at the end of the fuselage
- Classic upward-curved winglets
- Listed as E190 or E190-100 on trackers
Separating it from the E195 and the E175 works best from the side: roughly count the window rows or compare the length of the fuselage ahead of and behind the wing. At KLM Cityhopper you also meet its own Embraer jets – but they wear the blue KLM livery and Dutch PH- registrations.
How to recognize German Airways
In April 2025 German Airways unveiled a new livery and has been repainting the fleet step by step. The first aircraft in the new design was D-AJHW. The key features:
- Tail: a dynamically dotted flag in black, red and gold, clearly set off from the fuselage.
- Winglets: also in the German colors.
- No name at the rear: the airline deliberately left the “German Airways” titles off the tail.
- Customer note: most jets carry the addition “Operating for KLM Cityhopper”.
For spotters this means: an E190 with a German flag at the rear and KLM Cityhopper titles is very likely a German Airways jet. To be safe, as always, the registration decides. How to read registrations is explained in Understanding aircraft registrations.
Special liveries
The small fleet has already worn several advertising liveries – one reason German Airways is popular with collectors:
| Registration | Design | Period |
|---|---|---|
| D-ACJJ | Herpa miniature models, 75 years | since July 2024 |
| D-AMWO | DTM | since September 2025 |
| D-APRI | Leysieffer Chocolaterie | November 2022 to September 2024 |
| D-AWSI | Galaxy European Champions | August 2022 to March 2023 |
| D-ACJJ, D-AJHW, D-AMWO | Adler Modemärkte | changing between October 2021 and February 2025 |
Special liveries change, and information from spotter forums goes out of date quickly. Before you set out on a targeted trip, take a look at current photos and the tracker. You’ll find tips under Finding special liveries.
Check the type
Embraer E190 with engines under the wings – that already narrows the field.
Look at the tail
A dotted flag in black, red and gold or one of the advertising liveries points to German Airways.
Read the registration
A D-A… on the fuselage confirms the German registration, whereas PH- points to a KLM-owned aircraft.
Log separately
Record the operator German Airways, the customer and the flight number separately. That keeps your sighting unambiguous.
Who German Airways flies for
Most of the fleet is out on wet lease. The most important customer is KLM Cityhopper, the regional subsidiary of KLM. With KLM flight numbers the E190s connect European airports with the KLM hub Amsterdam Schiphol. For a time German Airways also flew on wet lease for Luxair.
Since 2026 German Airways has also flown for Condor. The E190s connect selected European cities with the Condor hub Frankfurt. As further references the airline cites Air France, Eurowings, Finnair, LOT, easyJet and SKY express, among others.
The charter business remains alongside. Under the Ligaflieger brand German Airways flies soccer clubs, national teams, and rugby and volleyball teams. Corporate shuttles, incentive trips, and bands and orchestras are also among its customers.
Good chances for German Airways if …
- your airport has KLM Cityhopper flights to Amsterdam in the schedule
- you’re watching Condor feeders from Europe in Frankfurt
- a Bundesliga or European cup match is on in your city
Check beforehand if …
- you’re planning from older spotter reports – wet-lease assignments change
- you’re after a specific special livery
Probably not a German Airways day if …
- neither KLM nor Condor is operating regional jets at your airport
Spotting German Airways
The home airport, Cologne Bonn, is an obvious starting point. From the observation deck at Cologne Bonn Airport you get a good overview, even though the jets spend a large part of the day in the customers’ networks. In Frankfurt the Zeppelinheim viewing platform is worthwhile for Condor feeders, and in Amsterdam the spotters’ spot at the Polderbaan.
Because German Airways is a small operator with changing assignments, the tracker is your most important tool. Filter for the code GER and see where the fleet is currently flying. Together with the current runway direction in use you then know which side of the airport to head for. Sports charters, on the other hand, don’t appear in the regular schedule – such sightings belong more in the category of rare aircraft.
Safety and rules
Photograph only from publicly accessible areas. Fences, barriers and security areas are off limits, and drones have no business near airports. What the law says is explained in the article Is plane spotting allowed?.
Common mix-ups
- Equating a KL flight number with a KLM aircraft – German Airways operates many KLM Cityhopper flights with its own E190s.
- Taking Condor feeders for Condor jets – since 2026, some Frankfurt feeders are German Airways E190s.
- Mixing up German Airways and LGW – the ex-LGW carried the name only briefly in 2020; today’s airline is the former WDL Aviation.
- Mixing up the E190 and the E190-E2 – the second generation has much larger engines and no classic winglets.
- Reading the missing name at the rear as a leased jet without an operator – the flag is the trademark; the name is deliberately not on the tail.
- Taking German Airways for a scheduled airline – scheduled flights with its own ticket sales are not its focus.
Keep an eye on German Airways
Follow German Airways E190s or individual special liveries, get notified on approach or landing and post your sighting with type, registration and spot. Planetrack is launching soon – join the waitlist and get early access.
Conclusion
German Airways is small, but for spotters one of the most interesting German airlines. Behind the compact E190 fleet lie 70 years of history from Westdeutsche Luftwerbung to today, a business model that flies almost exclusively in the name of other airlines, and a series of sought-after special liveries. If you also note registration and callsign, you’ll recognize the Cologne jets even when “KLM Cityhopper” is written on the fuselage.
Quick verdict
German Airways (ICAO GER, callsign “GERMAN EAGLE”) is a Cologne wet-lease and charter specialist with an all-Embraer E190 fleet. The German flag on the tail shows the operator, while the flight number reveals only the customer.
Summary
- You recognize German Airways by the Embraer E190 with a dotted German flag on the tail and the addition “Operating for KLM Cityhopper”.
- Because the airline flies almost only on wet lease, the flight number reveals the customer – and only the ICAO code GER or the registration reveals the actual operator.
- Special liveries like the Herpa or DTM designs make the small fleet interesting for collectors.
- Don’t mix them up: today’s German Airways is the former WDL Aviation – not the ex-LGW, which briefly appeared under the same name in 2020.
Frequently asked questions
What ICAO code and callsign does German Airways have?
German Airways operates under the ICAO code GER and identifies itself on the radio as “GERMAN EAGLE”. Until the renaming in 2020, its predecessor WDL Aviation used the code WDL. ZQ is on file as the IATA code – in practice you rarely see it, because most flights run under the customer’s flight number.
What aircraft does German Airways fly?
Exclusively the Embraer E190, more precisely the long-range version E190-100LR. According to its own fleet page there are nine jets with 100 seats each in a 2-2 layout with no middle seat. For the summer 2026 schedule another aircraft, D-ABKE, joined the fleet.
Which airlines does German Airways fly for?
German Airways uses most of its fleet on wet lease, meaning with its own crew, maintenance and insurance for other airlines. The most important customer is KLM Cityhopper; since 2026 E190s have also flown for Condor on feeder routes to Frankfurt. As further references the airline cites Air France, Eurowings, Finnair, LOT and easyJet, among others.
What is the difference between German Airways and LGW?
This often causes confusion. The former Luftfahrtgesellschaft Walter (LGW), which also belonged to Zeitfracht, briefly operated as German Airways in spring 2020 and ceased flight operations in April 2020. Today’s German Airways, by contrast, is the former WDL Aviation from Cologne – with ICAO code GER and an E190 fleet.
What does the German Airways livery look like?
Since April 2025 the fleet has been gradually receiving a new design: the tail carries a dynamically dotted flag in black, red and gold, and the winglets are also in the national colors. You will no longer find the name “German Airways” at the rear. Most jets additionally carry “Operating for KLM Cityhopper”. The first repainted aircraft was D-AJHW.
What is the Ligaflieger?
Ligaflieger is the brand under which German Airways has marketed charter flights for sports teams since 2020 – for example for soccer clubs and national teams, but also for rugby or volleyball teams. Such flights don’t appear in the regular schedule and are therefore true surprise sightings.
Where can I spot German Airways?
Most likely where its customers fly: with a KLM Cityhopper flight number, the E190 connects European airports with Amsterdam Schiphol, and for Condor the destination is Frankfurt. Added to that is Cologne Bonn Airport as the airline’s home. Because wet-lease assignments change, it’s best to check beforehand with a tracker where the jets with the code GER are currently flying.
Keep an eye on German Airways
Watch the airline or individual registrations and get notified on approach or landing – and post your sighting with type, registration and spot. Planetrack is launching soon – join the waitlist and get early access.
Aircraft types in the fleet
Embraer E190
The regional jet with mid-haul comfort: the E190 puts around 100 passengers in the air in a 2+2 cabin with no middle seat – and is often mistaken for its successor, the E190-E2.
Aircraft typeEmbraer E195
The largest first-generation E-Jet: the E195 stretches the E190 by about 2.4 meters and typically puts a good 100 to 120 passengers in the air in a 2+2 cabin. In Europe it is at home mainly in the Lufthansa Group.
Aircraft typeEmbraer E190-E2
Same fuselage, all-new wing: the E190-E2 is the second generation of the mid-size E-Jet. Long, swept-back wingtips and big geared turbofan engines give it away – if you know what to look for.
Aircraft typeEmbraer E175
The small E-Jet with the big US career: the E175 flies with roughly 76 to 88 seats in a 2+2 cabin, is Embraer’s bestseller and in Europe is seen mainly with KLM Cityhopper and LOT.
Aircraft typeBAe 146 / Avro RJ85
High-mounted wing, four small engines, a T-tail and a tail cone that doubles as an air brake: the Avro RJ85 is one of the most distinctive regional aircraft ever built – and these days a genuine rarity.
Aircraft typeBombardier CRJ900
Slim fuselage, engines at the rear, T-tail on top: for years the CRJ900 was the workhorse of Lufthansa’s feeder traffic. Since CityLine’s demise it has become rare in Germany – here’s how to reliably spot it anyway.
More airlines
KLM Cityhopper
KLM’s regional subsidiary flies an all-Embraer fleet across Europe from Amsterdam Schiphol – in full KLM livery and under KL flight numbers. To spot it, look at the type and the registration.
LeisureCondor
One of Germany’s best-known leisure airlines: Condor flies from Frankfurt and other German airports to vacation destinations on short-, medium- and long-haul routes.
NetworkKLM Royal Dutch Airlines
The Dutch network airline with the light blue fuselage: founded in 1919, hub at Amsterdam Schiphol, part of Air France-KLM and a SkyTeam member – in the middle of a switch from Boeing to Airbus.
NetworkLuxair
Luxembourg’s national airline: in the air since 1962, based at Findel, with a varied fleet of Q400 turboprops and Boeing 737s – and in the middle of a transition to Embraer E2s and the new 737 generation.
Low-costEurowings
The point-to-point airline of the Lufthansa Group: Eurowings flies A320-family jets from Düsseldorf and other German bases across Europe – and gets the Boeing 737 MAX 8 from 2027.
NetworkAir France
France’s network airline with its hub at Paris-Charles de Gaulle: founding member of SkyTeam, part of the Air France-KLM group and operator of a long-haul fleet of Airbus A350s and Boeing 777s.
Related airports & manufacturers
Airports, manufacturers, airline groups and alliances – who is behind them and what you should know as a spotter.
Cologne Bonn Airport
Eurowings and leisure aircraft by day, the UPS and FedEx freighters in the evening, the government jets of the Flugbereitschaft in the west: Cologne Bonn is not a passenger hub, but one of Germany’s most varied airports – with a train station under the terminals and a free rooftop deck.
AirportFrankfurt Airport
Germany’s largest airport and Lufthansa’s home hub: four runways, two passenger terminals and a traffic mix from regional jets to widebody freighters.
AirportAmsterdam Schiphol Airport
Six runways, a single terminal and the home hub of KLM: Schiphol is one of Europe’s largest airports – and with official spotting areas like the Polderbaan, one of the most spotter-friendly.
Airline groupAir France-KLM
Air France-KLM is a French-Dutch group with two network airlines, two Transavia operations and its own regional subsidiaries. If you only look for blue-white-red or KLM blue at the fence, you miss half the group.
Where to get German Airways in front of your lens
Spotting locations where this airline can be seen regularly – with vantage points, light times and coordinates.
Observation deck at Cologne Bonn Airport
The rooftop deck on Terminal 1 is the most convenient legal vantage point at Cologne Bonn Airport: free, no security check, reachable directly by train – with views of the apron, the main runway and the military side of the airport.
Spotting hillZeppelinheim viewing platform at Frankfurt Airport
The classic among Frankfurt’s spotting spots: from the platform at the motorway bridge near Zeppelinheim, most landings in a west wind glide in onto the south runway – free, public and a quick S-Bahn ride from Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof.
Spotting hillPolderbaan spotting area at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport
The official spotting area at Schiphol’s longest runway: from the west side of the Polderbaan you see landings on 18R and takeoffs on 36L with no fence in the frame – with a big free parking lot, restrooms and the afternoon sun at your back.
Related guides from the blog
- Wet lease explained: why other airlines’ aircraft fly for your airline
- Callsign vs. flight number: what’s the difference?
- IATA and ICAO codes explained: decoding airports, airlines and aircraft types
- Finding special liveries: how to catch them on purpose
- Aircraft registrations explained: how to read any tail number
- Flight tracking for spotters: using ADS-B, Flightradar and more
- Spotting rare aircraft: unicorns, first visits and ferry flights