DELHI, 19 February 2026: Air India and Lufthansa Group signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Tuesday to establish the framework for a joint business agreement between Air India’s 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, the MoU enables the carriers to explore ways to enhance connectivity between India and major European markets and to offer travellers a more seamless and consistent experience across some of the world’s busiest routes on a single ticket.
The MoU — signed by Air India Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director Campbell Wilson and Lufthansa Group Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Carsten Spohr — is intended to leverage opportunities created by the recent conclusion of the landmark India-European Union Free Trade Agreement.
Subject to requisite regulatory and antitrust approvals, the carriers intend to collaborate across multiple areas, including coordinated route planning and flight schedules in specific markets to enhance customer convenience and connectivity, as well as joint sales, marketing, and distribution initiatives.
Further cooperation would include joint development and coordination to improve the customer experience across areas such as frequent flyer programmes and IT infrastructure.
The MoU initially focuses on increasing passenger traffic between Air India’s home market and the Lufthansa Group’s core home market region, which includes 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 once a comprehensive joint business agreement is formed, subject to regulatory approvals.
Air India and Lufthansa Group carriers currently codeshare on 145 routes across 15 Indian and 29 European cities and 20 countries. In February 2025, Air India and the Lufthansa Group announced an expansion of codeshare agreements among Air India, Lufthansa, SWISS, and Austrian Airlines.
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 exceeding €120 billion in 2024. The EU ranks India as its ninth-largest trading partner, accounting for 2.4% of the EU’s total trade in goods in 2024.
(Source: Air India)
