Now Reading: Lufthansa says India overtakes China in premium aviation demand
-
01
Lufthansa says India overtakes China in premium aviation demand
Lufthansa says India overtakes China in premium aviation demand
Lufthansa Group has said India is now its second-largest intercontinental market after the United States, surpassing China in its Asian hierarchy. The airline has expanded capacity to India this year, operating up…
Lufthansa Group has said India is now its second-largest intercontinental market after the United States, surpassing China in its Asian hierarchy. The airline has expanded capacity to India this year, operating up to 80 weekly flights, including two daily A380 services, as stronger passenger and premium demand reshapes its long-haul network.
Premium traffic is a key driver: about 70% of seats on Lufthansa Group flights to India are in economy, but demand for premium economy, business and first class is rising with Indian incomes. Swiss will launch Zurich-Bengaluru services in October, targeting the city's tech and corporate sectors. A deeper joint business partnership with Air India, signed as a memorandum of understanding in February, is under discussion and could further coordinate routes and schedules across the India-Europe corridor.
Indian Opinion Analysis
This shift reflects a structural change in global aviation economics. European carriers face higher costs flying over Russian airspace to East Asia, making India's shorter routes and growing premium base more profitable. Lufthansa's focus on premium cabins targets India's expanding high-income bracket, which the International Air Transport Association projects will make India the world's third-largest aviation market by 2027. The Air India partnership, if approved by regulators, could create a revenue-sharing joint venture similar to Lufthansa's transatlantic joint business with United Airlines, giving it pricing and schedule coordination on the India-Europe corridor. The next milestone is whether the two carriers file for antitrust immunity in the coming months.
Source: economictimes.indiatimes.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
