Interflug was the airline of the German Democratic Republic.
It was not the first airline in East Germany. In 1952 Deutsche Lufthansa GmbH was 'refounded' by Soviet occupation authorities who had control of all aviation assets in East Germany. Despite adopting the timeless logo of the black crane on a yellow background they did not own a single plane; the sole intention was to lay claim to being the legal successors of Lufthansa, which was formed back in 1926. While disagreement continued between the two Lufthansas, Interflug was established on September 18 1956 in East Berlin, and it initially just flew charter traffic. In 1962 Deutsche Lufthansa GmbH was forced to relinquish its name and trademarks by a court hearing in Bern; it subsequently was liquidated and Interflug took over its assets.
Interflug started flights using Soviet Ilyushin and Antonov aircraft: the Il-14, Il-18, An-2 and An-24. It joined the jet age in 1969 with Il-62s and various Tupolevs (Tu-134 and Tu-154), and in the late 1980s had even acquired an Airbus. Its livery was a simple red on white logo of simple aerodynamic looking shape within a halo.
The airline mostly served destinations in Eastern Europe and the USSR, but would eventually reach as far as Bangkok, Singapore, Hanoi, Luanda, Havana and several other destinations.
Interflug ceased operations in 1991 shortly after German reunification. With an antiquated fleet and a name that sounds even more awkward than Aeroflot, it was highly unlikely to be competitive with Lufthansa.