The A380 disappears into clouds above Auckland.

The pilot of the last jet out of Auckland for thousands of stranded Germans has treated the city to an evening fly-by.

​And as the Lufthansa Airbus A380-841 flew its lap of the city, the Sky Tower shone in the red, black and gold of the German flag.

The double-decker plane's Monday evening flight was the last of several operated by the German airline and Air New Zealand to return up to 15,000 Germans and Europeans stranded in the country by the coronavirus lockdown.

Hayden Dahm A flight taking Germans home farewells Auckland, as seen from Cornwall Park.

Taking off about 7pm, it flew west for a short time before making a sudden swoop around to fly north, over Middlemore Hospital and Mt Wellington.

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Upon reaching the eastern suburb of Glendowie it banked left and continued to fly low, passing Devonport then shooting south over the illuminated Sky Tower and inner suburbs.

Flightradar24 The Lufthansa A380 flew a lap of Auckland on Monday evening.

The fly-by continued over Mt Roskill before it banked west again and flew out towards the Tasman over Muriwai, bound for Frankfurt, via Bangkok.

The charter flights followed the signing of a contract between the German embassy in Wellington and Air New Zealand.

Passengers on the repatriation flights have to reimburse the German Government for the cost of an economy class ticket, but they did not have to pay in advance.

RICKY WILSON/STUFF The flight was the last of several returning stranded visitors from Germany and other European countrie.s

Lufthansa pilots flew similar fly-bys during earlier repatriation flights departing Auckland and Christchurch.

Air New Zealand jets have also been used to fly home stranded Germans, with the first Boeing 777-300 leaving on Friday, April 3, bound for Frankfurt via Vancouver.

The German flag-inspired Sky Tower lighting was requested by the German-New Zealand Chamber of Commerce as a thank you to New Zealand for helping the 12,000 German tourists stranded in the country, SkyCity said in a statement.

RICKY WILSON/STUFF The lumbering Lufthansa A380 flew a circuit around Auckland before heading west towards Bangkok.

RICKY WILSON/STUFF The Sky Tower was lit up in the colours of the German flag to thank New Zealand for supporting the stranded visitors.

RICKY WILSON/STUFF The pilot of the Lufthansa Airbus A380-841 treated Auckland to one last fly-by on Monday night.