Lufthansa group currently operates more than 70 weekly flights from India | Photo Credit: REUTERS

The Lufthansa Group expects the recent removal of airport transit visa requirements for Indian nationals connecting through German airports to improve passenger flows from India, particularly on routes to the UK and several long-haul destinations.

Speaking to businessline, Kevin Markette, Senior Director - Regional Sales South Asia, Lufthansa Group, said the policy change removes a long-standing friction point for Indian travellers transiting through Germany.

The move, he cited could encourage a greater number of passengers to opt for one-stop connections via Frankfurt and Munich.

The senior executive said that while the change may not fundamentally alter underlying travel patterns, it is expected to strengthen demand on sectors where Lufthansa has a significant network advantage, particularly the UK and certain destinations in Central and South America.

Key Markets

“UK is clearly one of the key markets that will benefit from this development, alongside other long-haul destinations, including markets in Central and South America such as Brazil,” he said.

The development assumes significance as European carriers intensify competition for Indian outbound traffic.

Lufthansa group currently operates more than 70 weekly flights from India, including over 50 services to Germany, providing onward connectivity to more than 200 destinations through its Frankfurt and Munich hubs.

The airline group also described India as its largest market in the Asia-Pacific region and its second-largest intercontinental market globally after the United States.

Services Increase

According to Markette, Lufthansa has recently added frequencies to India following the redeployment of aircraft from the Middle East during the first quarter of 2026 and continues to evaluate opportunities for further growth in the market.

The airline is also increasing capacity deployment on India routes, including the introduction of Airbus A380 operations on Mumbai-Munich services, making Mumbai the second Indian city after Delhi to receive regular A380 operations.

Meanwhile, Lufthansa said its long-standing partnership with Air India continues to deepen beyond a conventional codeshare arrangement.

The two airline groups currently offer codeshare connectivity across more than 140 routes spanning over 20 countries, with a combined network covering 15 destinations in India and 27 in Europe.

“We see clear potential to further expand this cooperation to the benefit of customers in India and beyond,” Markette said.

Published on June 18, 2026