Air India and Lufthansa Group sign MoU to increase connectivity between India and EU
Air India and German aviation major Lufthansa Group are collaborating to explore increasing connectivity and travel experiences between India and Europe. The two leading carriers intend to partner across multiple strategic areas, including coordinated route planning and flight schedules in specific markets as well as joint sales, marketing and distribution initiatives.
Further cooperation would encompass the joint development and coordination for improved customer experiences in areas such as frequent flyer programmes, IT infrastructure, customer journey, quality assurance, and other mutually beneficial initiatives.
Air India and Lufthansa Group on Tuesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), establishing the framework for a joint business agreement between their carriers and subsidiaries, including Air India Express, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, ITA Airways, Lufthansa, Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS), and other affiliated airlines.
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 that the agreement is a strong signal of mutual determination to open a new chapter in aviation between the EU and India following the landmark trade agreement between both economic regions.
“Together with Air India, we will strengthen our access to the aviation market with the highest growth rates worldwide…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 and more routes, including to India,” added Spohr.
Air India and Lufthansa carriers currently code-share on 145 routes across 15 Indian and 29 European cities and 20 countries. In February 2025, Air India and Lufthansa Group announced the expansion of the codeshare agreements between Air India, Lufthansa, SWISS, and Austrian Airlines. The Lufthansa Group is the fourth-largest airline group in the world in terms of revenue and fleet size.
Campbell Wilson, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Air India, said that as Air India continues to expand its global footprint with a fast-modernising fleet and transformed product and service offerings, this framework enables them to explore closer cooperation on multiple fronts to meet the growing trade, commerce, and people-to-people ties between the two respective regions.
India and the European Union are two of the world’s strongest economies, together representing nearly 25% of global GDP. According to the European Commission, the EU is India’s largest trading partner for goods, with bilateral trade in goods exceeding €120 billion in 2024, while the EU ranks India as its ninth-largest trading partner, accounting for 2.4% of the EU's total trade in goods in 2024.