Lufthansa is set to fortify its foothold in the Indian subcontinent with the announcement of a new route connecting its Frankfurt International Airport (FRA) hub to Hyderabad Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (HYD) in early 2024, augmenting its existing services from FRA to Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, and Mumbai.
After an absence since 2011, the German carrier will make a return to Hyderabad on January 16th, 2024. The inaugural flight, operated thrice weekly, will be serviced by Lufthansa’s cutting-edge Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. This state-of-the-art aircraft features 26 business class seats, 21 premium economy seats, and 247 economy class seats.
The flight schedule has been meticulously designed to cater to passengers seeking optimal connections within Lufthansa’s extensive European network from Frankfurt. Taking flight as LH752, the aircraft will depart Frankfurt at 10:00 and arrive in Hyderabad at 23:00 on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Sundays, with an estimated flight duration of eight hours and 30 minutes. The return leg, LH753, will depart Hyderabad at 01:00 and land in Frankfurt at 06:10 on Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Mondays, with an estimated flight duration of nine hours and 40 minutes.
Harry Hohmeister, Lufthansa’s head of Global Markets & Network, has highlighted the burgeoning opportunities in the Indian market, citing a robust annual demand growth rate of at least 10% in the post-COVID-19 era. He asserted that India, which emerged from the crisis more resiliently than other nations, necessitates distinct plans for Lufthansa’s operations in the region: “There is enough room for all. The travel market is growing at 10% annually. Also India was getting out of (COVID) crisis better than other countries. Our plans for India, therefore, have to be different, too.”
In addition to the revival of its Hyderabad service, Lufthansa is poised to inaugurate flights between Munich International Airport (MUC) and Bangalore Kempegowda International Airport (BLR) on November 3rd, 2023. This route, already served directly from Frankfurt, will be operated three times a week using Lufthansa’s Airbus A350-900 aircraft, further bolstering the carrier’s presence in the region.
The Munich-Bangalore service, comprising LH764 departing Munich at 12:10 and reaching Bangalore at 01:10 the following day, will operate on Sundays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, with a flight duration of eight hours and 30 minutes. The return leg, LH765, will depart Bangalore at 03:00, arrive in Munich at 08:15 on the same day, and operate on Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, with a flight duration of nine hours and 45 minutes.
Amidst direct competition from British Airways, Air France, KLM, and Middle Eastern carriers serving the European-Bangalore route, Lufthansa’s strategic decision to operate from its German bases reinforces its position in the Indian city, which boasts a population exceeding 13 million.
Travellers can already make bookings for Lufthansa’s Hyderabad and Bangalore routes, capitalising on well-timed flights that facilitate seamless connections within the airline’s established European network. Moreover, the arrival and departure timings in Europe present passengers with a gateway to Lufthansa’s North American network, including prominent destinations such as New York City, San Francisco, and Toronto.
