Lufthansa is reallocating flight capacity from other nations to cater to the surging travel demand in India, which has become the German airline’s fastest-growing major market, according to Chief Commercial Officer Heiko Reitz.
Speaking at the “Wings India” event in Hyderabad, Reitz stated that Lufthansa’s flight capacity to India currently surpasses pre-COVID levels by 14%, even as some other markets have not fully recovered.
‘India’s exceptional growth’
Reitz highlighted India’s exceptional growth compared to other destinations, stating, “India is growing faster than the rest of our other destinations. We are taking our capacity from other markets and putting it into India.”
The Lufthansa Group, including Swiss Air, presently operates 64 weekly flights to India, up from 56 before the pandemic.
India’s domestic passenger traffic to reach 350 million
As the world’s fifth-largest civil aviation market, India anticipates domestic passenger traffic to more than double to 350 million travelers by 2030, from 152 million in 2023. The number of international travelers is also expected to grow to 160 million.
Record plane orders by Indian airlines are contributing to the increase in the country’s aircraft fleet, expected to surpass 2,000 by 2030 from the current 700.
Lufthansa reintroducing Airbus A380 aircraft
Lufthansa aims to tap into this growth by reintroducing its Airbus A380 aircraft to the Indian market, competing with a revitalized Air India under its new owners, Tata Group. The government’s $12 billion investment in building and refurbishing airports aligns with its vision for India to be a regional aviation hub comparable to Dubai and Singapore.
Addressing competition, Reitz expressed optimism, stating, “With the kind of growth in India, there is space for many airlines to grow in this market and find their destinations.”