Air India and the Lufthansa Group have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) as both Star Alliance member carriers plan to establish a joint venture partnership.
Air India and the Lufthansa Group have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) as both Star Alliance member carriers plan to establish a joint venture partnership.
The MoU – signed by Air India Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director Campbell Wilson and Lufthansa Group Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Carsten Spohr - establishes the framework for a joint business agreement between Air India and the Lufthansa Group – which will include Air India's Air India Express and Lufthansa Group's carriers Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, ITA Airways, Lufthansa, Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS), and other affiliated airlines.
Both carriers intend to leverage opportunities unlocked by the recent collusion of the landmark India-European Union Free Trade Agreement. The carriers intend to collaborate across multiple strategic areas including coordinated route planning and flight schedules in specific markets, joint sales, marketing, and distribution initiatives. Further cooperation in areas such as the frequent flier programs, IT infrastructure, customer journey, and quality assurance are planned.
“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 with the goal of offering travel.”
According to Air India and the Lufthansa Group, the MoU initially focuses on increasing passenger traffic flows between Air India's home market of India and the core Home Market region of Lufthansa Group – Germany, Austria, Belgium, Italy, and Switzerland. It also proposes the expansion to include the rest of Europe and the Indian subcontinent. The precise scope, including specific routes and markets, will be finalized upon the formation of a comprehensive joint business agreement, subject to regulatory approvals.
“Today's agreement with our long-standing Star Alliance partner Air India is a strong signal of our mutual determination to open a new chapter in aviation between the EU and India following the landmark trade agreement between both economic regions,” Spohr 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 and more routes, including to India.”
Wilson added: “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.”
Currently, the Lufthansa Group and Air India offer codeshare flights on 146 routes to 22 countries covering 15 Indian and 27 European destinations. Both airline groups expanded the codeshare agreements between Air India, Lufthansa, SWISS, and Austrian Airlines in 2025.
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