Lufthansa, Air China Sign Joint Venture Deal

Lufthansa and Air China have signed a commercial joint venture agreement to jointly operate flights between Europe and China.

The agreement will implement a memorandum of understanding reached between the carriers in 2014.

The JV will allow the carriers to increase the number of code-share flights and coordinate more closely their flight schedules.

In addition to Lufthansa and Air China, the agreement also includes Lufthansa subsidiaries Austrian Airlines and Swiss International Air Lines.

“This ground-breaking joint venture will fundamentally strengthen our competitive position on routes between Europe and China,” Lufthansa chief executive Carsten Spohr said.

The joint venture with Lufthansa “is another major step of Air China’s globalisation strategy,” said Air China chairman Cai Jianjiang. “We will further expand network coverage in China and Europe, enhance the flight connections in beyond markets and optimise flight schedules.”

The JV is due to launch at the start of the 2017 summer flight timetable.