Hapag-Lloyd Express was established in 2002 and began operations in December 2002 – two months after Germanwings, its direct German competitor at Cologne Bonn.

Despite starting its service later and serving fewer routes, HLX gained a higher name recognition and a better reputation through its category-defining campaign "Fly for the price of a taxi".

The airline subsequently won the efficiency award "Effie" in Germany and Europe in recognition of its more effective branding and marketing.

In an attempt to win this price war, it expanded rapidly in the first half of 2004, announcing many new routes that it viewed as underserved by other airlines.

[3] Hapag-Lloyd Express aircraft were highly recognizable due to their distinctive "New York taxi" style: a checkered black and white line wrapped around a yellow body, aiming to convey the image of quick and cheap point-to-point service.