The recent geopolitical tensions in West Asia have caused major disruptions in the aviation industry, leading to a shift in passenger preference towards non-stop travel. This has prompted global carriers such as Lufthansa, Air Canada, and British Airways to adjust their flight networks by increasing frequencies to India and other South East Asian and East Asian destinations.
Lufthansa, in particular, has significantly increased its flight frequencies to four Indian routes. From April 24 through the end of May, the airline will offer daily service on the Frankfurt-Chennai route, up from five weekly flights. In May and June, the Frankfurt-Hyderabad route will see an increase from five to six weekly flights, while the Frankfurt-Delhi route will be upgraded to a daily operation for the entire month of June. Additionally, the Munich-Bengaluru route will also see an increase from five to six flights per week.
According to a press statement, these additional capacities were made possible through an adjustment of the flight program for the Middle East, where airlines have been cancelling flights due to the current situation. This decision allows Lufthansa and other airlines in the group to respond flexibly to the changing booking behavior of travelers, influenced by geopolitical developments.
Swiss International Air Lines, a subsidiary of Lufthansa, has also doubled its capacity between Switzerland and India. The airline will add a second daily Zurich-Delhi service in April and May, in addition to its existing daily flight. This decision was made in response to the rising demand for non-stop services, as many passengers were unable to take their originally booked flights via the Gulf region.
While Qatar Airways continues to face disruptions, Etihad Airways has partially restored operations, and Emirates is largely back on track with some cancellations still occurring. Other airlines, such as AirArabia and Oman, have also reported cancellations and rescheduling.
In addition to Lufthansa, other airlines have also increased their flight frequencies to India. Air Canada, which currently operates a daily flight between Toronto and Delhi, will add 13 flights in April and 7 flights in May. Air France has deployed larger capacity aircraft to Delhi and other key Asian hubs, such as Singapore, Hong Kong, and Bangkok, have also seen a ramp up in capacity. However, Lufthansa’s most significant capacity addition has been to India.
Kevin Markette, Senior Director – Regional Sales, South Asia, stated that the airline is constantly evaluating the situation and looking for opportunities to optimize flights and utilize available resources. He also mentioned that the new flights have received a positive response, with Swiss’s additional flights, which started two days ago, already fully booked on many days.
Non-stop travel comes at a premium, with fares nearly doubling in comparison to usual rates. For instance, a Delhi-Frankfurt ticket for travel 25 days out is currently priced at around ₹62,000.