Lufthansa, Air India Expand EU-India Alliance
The Lufthansa Group and Air India have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to deepen their strategic cooperation and lay the groundwork for a future Joint Business Agreement. The framework, signed by Carsten Spohr, Chairman and CEO of Deutsche Lufthansa AG, and Campbell Wilson, CEO and Managing Director of Air India, will bring Lufthansa Group airlines, Air India and Air India Express into closer commercial alignment.
The agreement is designed to capture growth opportunities following the recently concluded free trade agreement between India and the European Union. The EU is India’s largest trading partner in goods, with bilateral trade totaling approximately €180 billion annually. Together, India and the EU account for roughly a quarter of the global population and global GDP, making enhanced air connectivity between the regions strategically significant.
India’s aviation market is among the fastest growing in the world, driven by a rising middle class and expanding international travel demand. For the Lufthansa Group, routes between its European home markets and India have become its second most important premium long-haul market after the United States. Closer cooperation with Air India, the country’s largest long-haul carrier and a long-standing Star Alliance partner, is expected to unlock further traffic and revenue potential.
Currently, Lufthansa Group airlines and Air India operate codeshare services on 146 routes across 22 countries, covering 15 Indian and 27 European destinations. Lufthansa connects Frankfurt with Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad, while Munich serves Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore. SWISS operates from Zurich to Delhi and Mumbai, and ITA Airways links Rome with Delhi. Air India complements the network with services from Delhi to Frankfurt, Zurich, Vienna and Milan, and from Mumbai to Frankfurt.
The first phase of the new partnership will focus on expanding and jointly marketing flight offerings to create a more seamless travel experience between Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, Italy and India. A second phase envisions extending cooperation to additional EU countries and the broader Indian subcontinent, subject to regulatory and antitrust approvals.
Both groups also plan closer coordination of schedules and route planning to improve connections and reduce transfer times. Further integration of sales and marketing activities, enhanced frequent flyer program alignment, and optimized airport processes are also under consideration to elevate the overall customer experience.
Lufthansa’s ties with India date back more than 60 years, with its first Delhi landing in 1959. A codeshare partnership has been in place since 2004, and Air India joined Star Alliance in 2014, reinforcing a long-standing aviation bridge between Europe and India.
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Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com