Lufthansa not planning to acquire stakes in Indian carriers

Travelers from South Asia can now look forward to more Lufthansa flights in the future as the airline is planning to expand its flight operations into India.

Germany’s national flag carrier Lufthansa recently announced that though it is eager to make a strong presence in India, it is however not planning to buy stakes in Indian carriers for the time being. The Government of India recently opened up its civil aviation sector for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).

Frank Puttmann, Lufthansa’s Head of Corporate Communications for Asia Pacific, said that the airline considers India to be the top market worldwide and plans to build up a strong presence here. The airline has, however, no plans to pick up equity on Indian carriers now.

Puttmann also said that Delhi airport regulator’s decision to allow 346 percent hike in airport charges would be counterproductive and detrimental to the growth of the passenger traffic. He cautioned that airport companies in India need to work along with other foreign airlines as they are important partners in their business.