Air India and Lufthansa Group have announced on Feb. 20 a significant expansion of their codeshare partnership, adding nearly 60 new routes to improve connectivity between the Indian subcontinent and Europe.
The agreement includes a new codeshare deal between Air India and Austrian Airlines, as well as expanded agreements with Lufthansa and Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS). Additionally, Air India will operate codeshare flights to 16 cities on the Virgin Australia network in Australia and New Zealand.
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The enhanced partnership increases the total number of codeshare routes between Air India, Lufthansa, and SWISS from 55 to nearly 100. The new agreement with Austrian Airlines adds 26 additional routes, offering travelers greater convenience and seamless connectivity across 12 Indian and 26 European cities.
“Our goal is to enable our customers to travel from any corner of the world to another via Air India and its partner airlines. The expansion of our partnership with Lufthansa Group is a step in that direction, and we are pleased to take this long-standing relationship to the next level,” said Nipun Aggarwal, chief commercial officer at Air India, in a media release.
As part of the agreement, Air India will offer its passengers access to 26 European destinations and three American cities beyond its gateways in Frankfurt, Vienna, and Zurich. Lufthansa, SWISS, and Austrian Airlines will operate the additional routes under the “AI,” meaning “Air India” designator code.
“With this renewed partnership, our customers will have access to more destinations and greater flexibility to travel across Europe on Lufthansa Group carriers. It also gives us the opportunity to serve Lufthansa Group customers, with warmth and quintessential Indian hospitality, aboard Air India flights. We look forward to continue working closely with our Star Alliance partners in making the world feel like a smaller place,” Aggarwal added.
Under the new arrangement, Air India passengers will be able to connect through Lufthansa’s Frankfurt hub to destinations including Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, Brussels, Geneva, and Washington, D.C. SWISS will offer additional routes from Zurich, while Austrian Airlines will provide connections from Vienna to cities such as Munich, Oslo, and Stockholm.
Lufthansa Group customers will also benefit from the agreement, gaining access to Air India’s domestic network with connections to 15 cities, including Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Mumbai, and Pune. Additionally, Lufthansa Group carriers will codeshare on Air India’s international flights to Kathmandu, Melbourne, and Sydney from Delhi and Mumbai.
“We are thrilled to strengthen our partnership with Air India and elevate the travel experience for our joint customers. By further enhancing our cooperation, we will increase the travel options between Europe and India and offer our passengers improved access to additional destinations. Lufthansa Group remains committed to India, and we are excited about the possibilities and potential the country and Air India as a partner have to offer,” according to Dieter Vranckx, Chief Commercial Officer, Lufthansa Group.
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Air India and Lufthansa Group airlines are all members of Star Alliance, allowing frequent flyers to earn and redeem miles across all four carriers. Elite members of Air India’s Maharaja Club and Lufthansa Group’s Miles & More program will continue to receive Star Alliance Gold benefits, including priority services, additional baggage allowance, and lounge access worldwide.
The expanded codeshare flights are subject to regulatory approvals and will be progressively available for booking through the airlines’ respective channels.