Lufthansa, Air India Expand Partnership, Will Coordinate on Routes

Why It Matters

The partnership strengthens Europe‑India connectivity, unlocking trade‑driven passenger growth and giving Lufthansa a competitive edge against Emirates and Qatar Airways. It also aligns with the EU‑India trade deal, promising revenue opportunities for both airlines.

Key Takeaways

• Lufthansa and Air India expand cooperation beyond codeshare
• New MOU covers routes, IT, loyalty, scheduling
• Focus initially on Germany, Austria, Belgium, Italy, Switzerland
• Leverages EU‑India free trade agreement for growth
• Aims to counter Middle East carrier competition

Pulse Analysis

The EU‑India free‑trade agreement, finalized earlier this year, is reshaping air travel demand between the two regions. Business travelers, tourists, and diaspora communities are expected to increase as tariffs fall and investment flows rise. Airlines that can offer seamless, single‑ticket journeys stand to capture a larger share of this burgeoning market, prompting carriers like Lufthansa and Air India to rethink traditional partnership models.

Under the new memorandum of understanding, the two groups will synchronize route planning, flight schedules, and loyalty programmes across all subsidiaries, from Lufthansa’s flagship network to Air India Express’s regional services. For passengers, this means more direct connections, coordinated check‑in processes, and unified mileage accrual on a single ticket. For the airlines, shared IT platforms and joint customer‑service protocols promise cost efficiencies and a stronger brand proposition in a highly competitive corridor.

Strategically, the alliance serves as a counterweight to the rapid expansion of Middle‑East giants such as Emirates and Qatar Airways, which have long dominated Europe‑Asia traffic. By leveraging the trade pact and offering integrated services, Lufthansa and Air India aim to lock in high‑value traffic and improve yield management. If successful, the partnership could set a template for other legacy carriers seeking to defend market share against agile Gulf competitors while capitalising on the next wave of Indo‑European trade growth.

Lufthansa, Air India Expand Partnership, Will Coordinate on Routes

Lufthansa Group and Air India deepen cooperation on routes, IT and more · February 17 2026

Lufthansa Group and Air India will deepen cooperation on everything from routes to IT in a new push to boost connectivity between Europe and India.

The two carriers announced a memorandum of understanding on Tuesday that substantially enlarges their existing relationship. An interline arrangement of some kind is implied, with the airlines set to offer “more connected and consistent experiences across some of the world’s busiest routes on a single ticket.”

The agreement is meant to capitalize on business opportunities “unlocked” by a recent free‑trade pact signed by the European Union and India, the partners said.

Under the MOU, Lufthansa Group and Air India will collaborate in areas such as route planning, flight scheduling, loyalty programs, information technology, and customer service and experience. Previously, their relationship had been limited to codesharing and shared membership in Star Alliance.

Officials said the deal encompasses all of Lufthansa Group’s and Air India’s carriers and subsidiaries, such as Air India Express, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, ITA Airways, Lufthansa, and SWISS.

Air India’s first A350 aircraft. (Photo: Air India)

The partners will initially focus on growing traffic between India and Lufthansa’s home markets, specifically Germany, Austria, Belgium, Italy, and Switzerland. The MOU would eventually expand to cover the rest of Europe and the Indian subcontinent.

“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,” said Carsten Spohr, chairman and CEO of Lufthansa Group, in a news release. “Together with Air India, we will strengthen our access to the aviation market with the highest growth rates worldwide.”

“This milestone in our deepening relationship with the Lufthansa Group is great news for travelers and enterprises alike between India and Europe,” added Air India CEO and Managing Director Campbell Wilson. “As Air India continues to expand its global footprint with a fast‑modernizing 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.”

Lufthansa Group and Air India carriers currently codeshare on 145 routes across 29 cities in Europe and 15 in India.

In its reporting on the deal, Bloomberg said Lufthansa is likely using its alliance with Air India to push back on rapidly growing Middle East carriers such as Emirates and Qatar Airways, which compete in some of the same markets.