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Dubai/Abu Dhabi, 2nd March 2026: Amid the ongoing tension in the middle east, UAE biggest carrier Emirates has announced the temporary suspension of all operations to and from Dubai up until 1500 hours UAE time on Tuesday, March 3, due to multiple regional airspace closures. Dubai International Airport, the most busiest aviation hubs had earlier suffered partial damage due to a suspected aerial strike on one of its main terminal buildings. Confirming the incident, the airport authorities said that one concourse at Dubai International “sustained minor damage in an incident, which was quickly contained. The airspace in the middle east across UAE, Bahrain, Iraq and Qatar have all closed following the conflict between Iran and Israel. The UAE said in a statement that it had temporarily and “partially” closed its airspace as a precautionary measure. In its social media handle, Qatar Airways confirmed that it would be suspending all its flights “to, and from, Doha due to the closure of Qatari airspace.” It added that it was working “closely with government stakeholders and the relevant authorities to support impacted passengers and will resume operations when the airspace re-opens.” Air India had also confirmed that its operations to North America and Europe were being impacted by the situation in the Middle East. It confirmed that it would have to cancel select flights to Birmingham, Zurich and Copenhagen on 2 March. The airline’s services to New York-JFK and Newark Liberty are operating with a technical stop in Rome Fiumicino, it added.

New Delhi, 17th February 2026: Air India and Lufthansa Group signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), establishing the framework for a joint business agreement between Air India’s and Lufthansa Group’s carriers and subsidiaries, including Air India Express, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, ITA Airways, Lufthansa, Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS), and other affiliated airlines. Building on their existing codeshare agreements and shared membership in Star Alliance, this MoU enables the carriers to mutually explore ways to boost connectivity between India and major European markets with the goal of offering travellers more connected and consistent experiences across some of the world’s busiest routes on a single ticket. The MoU – signed by Air India Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Campbell Wilson, and Lufthansa Group Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Carsten Spohr – is intended to leverage opportunities unlocked by the recent conclusion of the landmark India-European Union Free Trade Agreement. Subject to requisite regulatory and anti-trust approvals, the carriers intend to collaborate across multiple strategic areas, including coordinated route planning and flight schedules in specific markets for greater customer convenience and enhanced connectivity as well as joint sales, marketing and distribution initiatives. Further cooperation would encompass the joint development and coordination for improved customer experiences in areas such as frequent flyer programmes, IT infrastructure, – customer journey, quality assurance, and other mutually beneficial initiatives – to enhance the ease of travel for our customers. The MoU initially focuses on increasing passenger traffic flows between Air India’s home market of India and Lufthansa Group’s core Home Market region, encompassing Germany, Austria, Belgium, Italy and Switzerland. It also proposes to include the rest of Europe and the Indian subcontinent, creating opportunities for future expansion. The precise scope, including specific routes and markets, will be finalised upon the formation of a comprehensive joint business agreement, subject to regulatory approvals. Carsten Spohr, Chairman of the Executive Board of Deutsche Lufthansa AG and Chief Executive Officer of the Lufthansa Group: “Today’s agreement with our long-standing Star Alliance partner Air India is a strong signal of our mutual determination to open a new chapter in aviation between the EU and India following the landmark trade agreement between both economic regions. Together with Air India, we will strengthen our access to the aviation market with the highest growth rates worldwide. The Lufthansa Group is already the most successful and most popular European airline group among customers in India. In the future, we will contribute to deepening economic and cultural relations between India and Europe with even more connections. With our new long-haul aircraft and Lufthansa Allegris and SWISS Senses on board, we are offering a significantly improved premium travel experience in all classes on more and more routes, including to India.” Campbell Wilson, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Air India, said: “This milestone in our deepening relationship with the Lufthansa Group is great news for travellers and enterprises alike between India and Europe. As Air India continues to expand its global footprint with a fast-modernising fleet and transformed product and service offerings, this framework enables us to explore closer cooperation on multiple fronts to meet the growing trade, commerce, and people-to-people ties between our respective regions. This would unlock greater value for our common customers and respective shareholders, and we look forward to progressing these initiatives together with the Lufthansa Group.” Air India and Lufthansa Group carriers currently codeshare on 145 routes across 15 Indian and 29 European cities and 20 countries. In February 2025, Air India and Lufthansa Group announced the expansion of the codeshare agreements between Air India, Lufthansa, SWISS, and Austrian Airlines.

New Delhi, 7th November 2025: Deutsche Aircraft, in collaboration with the Aerospace India Association, Cyient, Dynamatic Technologies and SASMOS HET, announced strategic outcomes from the Aviation Partnership Summit held on 5 November at JW Marriott Aerocity, in New Delhi. The summit convened key stakeholders from aviation, government and investment sectors to shape the future of India’s regional aviation. India’s Aviation Growth: A Strategic Inflection Point India’s domestic aviation market is the third largest globally, with over 220 million passengers in 2024. The government’s UDAN scheme is driving connectivity to Tier II and III cities, creating demand for aircraft tailored to short routes and challenging environments. “India is the largest growth market for regional aviation and already a crucial partner for the D328eco programme,” said Nico Neumann, CEO of Deutsche Aircraft. “During the event, we aspired to better understand market needs and develop a joint strategy to strengthen our partnerships and support ambitions under the UDAN scheme.” D328eco®: Designed for India The D328eco is a 40-seater turboprop aircraft optimised for India’s regional needs: • High-altitude and hot-weather performance • 100% SAF compatibility for sustainable operations • Quiet, ergonomic cabin suited for India’s youthful demographic • Digital Garmin cockpit for enhanced pilot efficiency • 55% break-even load factor, ideal for low-density UDAN routes • Optimal range of 100–300 NM, covering 90% of India’s regional flights Summit Themes: Wings of Opportunity During the one-day summit, discussions centred around five essential themes for propelling India’s aviation market into its next phase of exponential growth: • Regional Connectivity – Expanding access to underserved regions through modern aircraft and infrastructure. • Sustainable Aviation – Decouple India’s growth from carbon impact with SAF, efficient design and innovative systems. • Fleet Modernisation – Replacing aging aircraft with next-gen turboprops like the D328eco. • Collaborative Manufacturing – Strengthening Indo-German supply chains and technology transfer. • Investment Opportunities – Attracting global capital to support aviation infrastructure and innovation. Partner Contributions to ‘Make in India’ A number of Indian partners are contributing significantly to the structures and systems of the new D328eco. This collaboration leverages India’s manufacturing and digital engineering expertise to integrate high-value components directly into the aircraft. Cyient’s partnership with Deutsche Aircraft underscores our commitment to innovation in sustainable aviation,” said Sukamal Banerjee, Executive Director and CEO, Cyient. “With our expertise in design engineering, AI-driven solutions, and manufacturing, we’re proud to support the D328eco program—enhancing efficiency, passenger experience, and shaping the future of aerospace technology.” For the airframe, Dynamatic Technologies manufactures the crucial rear fuselage of the D328eco at a dedicated assembly line in Bangalore. CEO Udayant Malhoutra emphasised the scale of this effort, stating, “This partnership is a milestone in India’s aerospace manufacturing journey.” SASMOS HET develops advanced EWIS & electrically integrates the flight-critical electrical & electronics subsystems onboard the D328eco® aircraft. “This collaboration was driven by a clear objective — to harness SASMOS’s specialized expertise in electrical integration of the onboard electrical and electronic subsystems, complemented by reliable interconnectivity solutions that are designed and manufactured in India,” said H.G. Chandrashekar, CMD, SASMOS. Engaging India’s Aviation Ecosystem The summit featured high-level panels, networking sessions and strategic discussions with key figures from industry and government. It emphasised inclusive dialogue and long-term partnerships to shape India’s aviation future.