Air India and Germany’s Lufthansa Group are set to enhance their long-standing codeshare partnership, providing travelers between the Indian Subcontinent and Europe with increased flight options and improved connectivity. The collaboration will also see Air India entering into a new codeshare agreement with Austrian Airlines, expanding on existing codeshare agreements with Lufthansa and Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS). This expansion will introduce nearly 60 codeshare routes operated by the four airlines, connecting cities across 12 Indian destinations and 26 in Europe. The total number of codeshare routes between Air India, Lufthansa, and SWISS will rise from 55 to nearly 100, with an additional 26 codeshare routes added through the agreement with Austrian Airlines.

All four airlines are members of the Star Alliance network, further enhancing the synergies of this partnership. Starting February 20, 2025, Air India will extend its codeshare services to 26 destinations in Europe and three in the Americas via Lufthansa Group gateways in Europe. This means passengers can benefit from seamless connections across multiple continents with the Air India 'AI' designator code on all codeshare services provided.

On the other side, Lufthansa Group passengers will have access to 15 domestic destinations in India through Air India’s network, facilitating travel to and from key cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, and Bangalore, among others. Furthermore, the partnership enables Lufthansa Group carriers to place their designator codes on Air India's international services to selected destinations in Asia and Australia. The expanded codeshare also covers flights connecting India with Germany and Switzerland, ensuring enhanced travel options for passengers flying between these regions.

Both Air India and Lufthansa Group express their commitment to gradually incorporating more destinations into their joint network through this expanded codeshare partnership. The regulatory approval process for these expanded agreements is currently underway.

Nipun Aggarwal, Chief Commercial Officer of Air India, shared his enthusiasm for the enhanced collaboration, stating, “Our aim is to facilitate seamless global travel for our customers through Air India and our partner airlines. Strengthening our partnership with Lufthansa Group is a significant step towards achieving this goal, and we are excited to elevate this longstanding relationship to new heights.” Aggarwal added, “This renewed partnership not only expands travel options for our customers to explore Europe with Lufthansa Group carriers but also enables us to extend our warm Indian hospitality to passengers traveling on Lufthansa Group flights. We look forward to continuing our close collaboration with our Star Alliance partners in connecting the world more intimately.”

Dieter Vranckx, Chief Commercial Officer of Lufthansa Group, also expressed his enthusiasm, saying, “We are delighted to enhance our collaboration with Air India and enhance the travel experience for our mutual customers. By strengthening our partnership, we aim to broaden travel opportunities between Europe and India, offering our passengers improved access to a wider range of destinations. Lufthansa Group remains committed to India, and we are excited about the immense potential and opportunities that the country, along with Air India as our partner, has to offer.”