Lufthansa Group and Air India Sign Framework for Deeper Commercial Cooperation
Lufthansa Group and Air India have announced plans to deepen their partnership by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), setting the framework for a future Joint Business Agreement. The MoU was signed by Carsten Spohr, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Deutsche Lufthansa AG, and Campbell Wilson, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Air India.
The agreement outlines closer cooperation between Lufthansa Group airlines and Air India, including Air India Express, and is intended to expand joint commercial activities on routes between Europe and India. The initiative follows the recent conclusion of the free trade agreement between India and the European Union, which is expected to support increased trade and travel flows between the two regions.
Under the proposed Joint Business Agreement, subject to regulatory and antitrust approvals, the partners plan to expand and jointly market flight offerings to improve connectivity and coordination across their networks. Initial efforts will focus on Lufthansa Group’s European home markets—Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium and Italy—and India, with a later phase expected to include additional EU countries and the wider Indian subcontinent.
Currently, Lufthansa Group airlines and Air India operate codeshare services on 146 routes across 22 countries, covering 15 destinations in India and 27 in Europe. Lufthansa operates flights to India from Frankfurt and Munich, while SWISS serves India from Zurich, and ITA Airways connects Rome with Delhi. Air India complements this network with long-haul services from Delhi and Mumbai to several European cities, including Frankfurt, Zurich, Vienna and Milan.
The planned cooperation also extends beyond network coordination. Both groups intend to work towards better alignment of schedules, improved transfer connectivity, closer integration of frequent flyer programmes, coordinated sales and marketing activities, and enhancements to airport and customer service processes.
Lufthansa has operated services to India since 1959 and entered into a codeshare agreement with Air India in 2004. Air India joined the Star Alliance in 2014, further strengthening ties between the two carriers. The latest MoU builds on this long-standing relationship and provides a structured basis for expanded collaboration in the coming years.
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