Lufthansa Eyes 11% Growth in Fastest increasing Country in the planet in Winter

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FRANKFURT— The Lufthansa Group (LH) is projecting record performance in India by FY26, driven by strong market growth and increased seat capacity.

The airline currently operates over 2.3 million seats annually in India, across major hubs including Frankfurt (FRA), Munich (MUC), and Zurich (ZRH).

Lufthansa India Capacity Growth

Lufthansa Group plans an 11% capacity increase for the India market in the Winter 2025 schedule, with 71 weekly flights connecting cities like Delhi (DEL), Mumbai (BOM), Bengaluru (BLR), and Hyderabad (HYD) to its European network.

The airline underscores India’s position as one of its fastest-growing post-pandemic markets, Felipe Bonifatti, Vice President Asia Pacific & Joint Ventures East, shared with Hindu BusinessLine.

Lufthansa Group’s strategic expansion in India reflects surging demand from both domestic travelers and the global Indian diaspora.

The airline confirmed that the majority of passengers on its India routes are transit travelers connecting between third countries via its central European hubs — Frankfurt (FRA), Munich (MUC), and Zurich (ZRH).

Premium services have been central to the expansion. Lufthansa has deployed the Airbus A350 from Munich to India and introduced the Boeing 787 Dreamliner on the newly launched Frankfurt-Hyderabad (FRA-HYD) route. These aircraft upgrades align with the Group’s commitment to enhancing passenger experience on Indian routes.

In late 2023 and early 2024, Lufthansa inaugurated two key services: Munich-Bangalore (MUC-BLR) — the first post-COVID new route — and Frankfurt-Hyderabad, strengthening direct connectivity between India’s tech cities and Europe.

Currently, Lufthansa operates more weekly flights to India than to any other country in the Asia-Pacific region, underscoring its focus on India as a cornerstone market.

Strong Codeshare Partner

Beyond direct operations, the Lufthansa Group is deepening partnerships in India. In February 2025, the airline announced 60 new codeshare routes across 12 Indian and 26 European cities through its partnership with Air India (AI).

This collaboration enhances connectivity options for Indian travelers, integrating Lufthansa’s network with Air India’s domestic reach.

Bonifatti emphasized the Group’s openness to further developing its network within India and the broader subcontinent, noting that regional growth trends warrant continued investment.

Additionally, Lufthansa is addressing operational challenges like the ongoing Pakistan airspace restrictions. The airline has implemented optimized flight paths and scheduling adjustments to mitigate longer flight durations and higher fuel consumption.

India’s Strategic Role in Lufthansa’s Global Network

The strategic importance of India is evident in Lufthansa Group’s sustained investment and network expansion plans.

With India’s aviation sector booming, international carriers like Lufthansa are positioning themselves to capture growing demand, particularly in premium travel segments and international connectivity.

Bonifatti reiterated Lufthansa Group’s long-term commitment to India, highlighting the market’s critical role in the airline’s Asia-Pacific and global strategies.

Lufthansa Group 2025/26 Winter Schedule

Lufthansa Group recently revealed its comprehensive winter flight schedule for 2025/26, effective from October 26, 2025. The schedule spans all passenger airlines in the group: Lufthansa (LH), Austrian Airlines (OS), SWISS (LX), Brussels Airlines (SN), Eurowings (EW), and Discover Airlines (4Y).

The latest schedule features expanded long-haul operations, premium cabin upgrades with the Allegris product, and new routes across Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas. Major airports served include Frankfurt (FRA), Munich (MUC), Zurich (ZRH), Vienna (VIE), and Brussels (BRU).

Expanded Allegris and Long-Haul Growth

For the 2025/26 winter schedule, Lufthansa (LH) is intensifying its long-haul network from Munich (MUC).

Daily flights with the new Allegris cabins across all classes—Economy, Premium Economy, Business, and First—will connect Munich to key global hubs: New York JFK (JFK), Newark (EWR), Chicago (ORD), Miami (MIA), Shanghai (PVG), Cape Town (CPT), and Tokyo (HND).

Additionally, Bengaluru (BLR) will see three weekly flights, marking Lufthansa’s focus on the Indian market.

Currently, ten Airbus A350-900s featuring Allegris interiors are operational, with customer satisfaction nearing 100%. Frankfurt (FRA) is next to introduce Allegris on Boeing 787-9s and retrofitted Boeing 747-8s, ensuring consistent premium offerings.

Lufthansa also retains popular winter routes introduced in summer 2025, including Frankfurt (FRA) to Bydgoszcz (BZG), Poland, and Munich (MUC) to Oradea (OMR), Romania.

Munich will continue deploying Airbus A380s on routes to Los Angeles (LAX), San Francisco (SFO), Bangkok (BKK), and Delhi (DEL), capitalizing on the aircraft’s popularity.

Regional Expansions Across the Lufthansa Group

Austrian Airlines (OS)

Austrian Airlines (OS) enhances connectivity by adding Amsterdam (AMS) from Innsbruck (INN), complementing existing routes to Brussels (BRU), Warsaw (WAW), and Copenhagen (CPH). Vienna (VIE) to Bangkok (BKK) increases to twice daily, and all Milan flights will shift to Linate Airport (LIN), improving city access following slot transfers from ITA Airways (AZ).

SWISS (LX)

SWISS (LX) expands service to Kraków (KRK) from Zurich (ZRH) and continues operations to Cluj-Napoca (CLJ) in Romania and Košice (KSC) in Slovakia. Long-haul flights to Washington D.C. (IAD) remain active, while Geneva (GVA) focuses on UK, Ireland, and Scandinavia connections, supporting winter sports tourism.

Brussels Airlines (SN)

Brussels Airlines (SN) intensifies its African presence from Brussels (BRU), adding frequencies to Lomé (LFW), Dakar (DSS), Conakry (CKY), Monrovia (ROB), Accra (ACC), and Freetown (FNA). This fortifies its position as the Lufthansa Group’s “Africa expert.”

Eurowings (EW)

Eurowings (EW) expands from Berlin (BER) with three weekly flights to Abu Dhabi (AUH) starting November 2025. The Berlin-Dubai (DXB) route increases to 11 weekly services, while Hanover (HAJ) gains direct flights to Dubai. Stuttgart (STR) will connect to Jeddah (JED), and routes to Marsa Alam (RMF) in Egypt will originate from Cologne (CGN), Hamburg (HAM), and Berlin.

Discover Airlines (4Y)

Discover Airlines (4Y) introduces direct flights from Frankfurt (FRA) to the Seychelles (SEZ) for the first time. Munich (MUC) will feature exclusive direct flights to Punta Cana (PUJ), Dominican Republic. The carrier also adds Alta (ALF) in Norway to its winter destinations.

Dieter Vranckx, Chief Commercial Officer of Lufthansa Group, emphasized the group’s commitment to stability, punctuality, and the premium travel experiences, particularly during the peak Christmas season.

The integration of new aircraft and upgraded cabins reflects a strategic push to enhance customer satisfaction and capture market demand across both leisure and business segments.

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