Air India, Lufthansa ink pact to boost India-Europe flights
What's the story
Air India has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Lufthansa Group, to enhance connectivity between India and Europe. The agreement was announced earlier today. It covers not just Air India and its subsidiary Air India Express, but also other carriers under the Lufthansa Group such as Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, ITA Airways, and Swiss International Air Lines.
Travel enhancement
More seamless travel options on key routes
The MoU aims to provide passengers with more seamless travel options on key routes through coordinated planning and commercial cooperation. It builds on existing codeshare arrangements and the airlines' shared membership in Star Alliance. The partnership will look into coordinated route planning and flight schedules in specific markets, along with joint sales, marketing, and distribution initiatives.
Market focus
Initial focus on India and core European markets
The MoU primarily targets passenger traffic between India and Lufthansa Group's core European markets of Germany, Austria, Belgium, Italy, and Switzerland. The scope may later expand to include the rest of Europe and the Indian subcontinent. The final structure will be decided after regulatory clearances with specific routes and markets yet to be finalized.
CEO statements
Exciting times ahead for travelers, says Campbell Wilson
Welcoming the agreement, Campbell Wilson, Air India's Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, said this milestone is great news for travelers and enterprises between India and Europe. He added that as Air India continues to expand its global footprint with a fast-modernizing fleet and transformed product/service offerings, this framework enables closer cooperation on multiple fronts to meet growing trade, commerce between their regions.
Current operations
Existing codeshare agreements strengthen new partnership
Currently, Air India and Lufthansa Group carriers codeshare on 145 routes across 15 Indian cities and 29 European cities in 20 countries. In February 2025, they had expanded their codeshare agreements between Air India, Lufthansa, SWISS, and Austrian Airlines. This existing partnership forms a strong foundation for the new MoU aimed at further enhancing connectivity between India and Europe.