The Lufthansa Group anticipates surpassing its previous fiscal year’s targets in India during FY26 on the back of continued growth as well as capacity addition.
The continued strong growth momentum has led it to go in for an 11 per cent capacity increase, which is planned for winter 2025.
Currently, the airline offers over 2.3 million seats in the Indian market annually.
The projection, said Felipe Bonifatti, Lufthansa Group Vice President Asia Pacific & Joint Ventures East, reflects India’s emergence as one of the group’s fastest-growing major markets post-COVID.
He said that the upcoming winter schedule features 71 weekly flights to India, representing an 11 per cent increase compared to current frequencies.
Besides, the airline executives highlighted that the majority of passengers on Lufthansa Group flights to and from India are connecting between third countries and India via central European hubs in Frankfurt, Munich, and Zurich.
“India has emerged as one of the Lufthansa Group’s fastest-growing major markets in the post-COVID era and remains a strategically important part of our global network,” Bonifatti said.
As of now, the comprehensive expansion strategy, Bonifatti said, is being driven by strong demand not only within India but also from the substantial Indian diaspora worldwide.
Furthermore, he cited that the strength and strategic importance of the Indian market are evident in the premium aircraft deployed on these routes.
To maintain its premium product lineup, the group has deployed state-of-the-art aircraft, including Airbus A350s from Munich and Boeing 787 Dreamliner on the newly launched Frankfurt-Hyderabad route.
The airline had launched two new routes in late 2023 and early 2024 including the Munich-Bangalore service as the first new route post-COVID, followed by the inaugural Frankfurt-Hyderabad service connecting the technology hub with Europe.
In addition, the group currently operates more weekly flights to India than to any other country in the Asia-Pacific region.
Additionally, Bonifatti said that the group sought opportunities to further develop the network in India and the wider subcontinent region.
“The Lufthansa Group remains committed to expanding our network in India. We are also open to new opportunities to further develop our network in India and the wider subcontinent region,” Bonifatti said.
Recently, India’s aviation sector growth has positioned the country as a critical market for international carriers seeking Asia-Pacific expansion.
The airline announced in February 2025 the addition of 60 new codeshare routes across 12 Indian and 26 European cities, deepening its partnership with Air India.
“We are keen to expand our codeshare partnership with Air India and remain open to opportunities that deepen this important relationship,” Bonifatti said.
The expansion strategy, he said, has factored in operational challenges, including the Pakistan airspace closure that has resulted in longer flight durations and increased fuel consumption via optimised flight paths and schedules.
