Air India and Lufthansa Group have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), establishing the framework for a joint business agreement between Air India and Lufthansa Group’s carriers and subsidiaries, including Air India Express, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, ITA Airways, Lufthansa, Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS), and other affiliated airlines. Building on their existing codeshare agreements and shared membership in Star Alliance, this MoU enables the carriers to mutually explore ways to boost connectivity between India and major European markets to offer travellers more connected and consistent experiences across some of the world’s busiest routes on a single ticket.
The MoU initially focuses on increasing passenger traffic flows between Air India’s home market of India and Lufthansa Group’s core home market region, encompassing Germany, Austria, Belgium, Italy and Switzerland. It also proposes to include the rest of Europe and the Indian subcontinent, creating opportunities for future expansion. The precise scope, including specific routes and markets, will be finalised upon the formation of a comprehensive joint business agreement, subject to regulatory approvals.
Carsten Spohr, Chairman of the Executive Board of Deutsche Lufthansa AG and Chief Executive Officer of the Lufthansa Group, said, “Together with Air India, we will strengthen our access to the aviation market with the highest growth rates worldwide. The Lufthansa Group is already the most successful and most popular European airline group among customers in India. In the future, we will contribute to deepening economic and cultural relations between India and Europe with even more connections. With our new long-haul aircraft and Lufthansa Allegris and SWISS Senses on board, we are offering a significantly improved premium travel experience in all classes on more routes, including to India.”
Campbell Wilson, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Air India, said, “This milestone in our deepening relationship with the Lufthansa Group is great news for travellers and enterprises alike between India and Europe. As Air India continues to expand its global footprint with a fast-modernising fleet and transformed product and service offerings, this framework enables us to explore closer cooperation on multiple fronts to meet the growing trade, commerce, and people-to-people ties between our respective regions. This would unlock greater value for our common customers and respective shareholders, and we look forward to progressing these initiatives together with the Lufthansa Group.”