India won't give landing rights to Lufthansa: Report

[1]

India has refused to grant landing rights for German airline Lufthansa's A-380 aircraft in the capital New Delhi, a German daily said on Friday.

Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper reported in a prerelease of its Saturday edition that the Indian government's decision was made apparently because the Lufthansa-led 'Star Alliance' network of airlines had rejected Air India's request to become a Star Alliance member.

It said Star Alliance last month decided to turn down the request of state-owned Air India to become a member because of the latter's weak financial situation.

The report said the denial of landing rights would be a blow to Lufthansa's ambition to expand its flight offers to India.

A spokesman for Lufthansa said the landing rights issue should not be linked to Star Alliance's decision on Air India, saying other airlines have also been unsuccessful so far in obtaining the right to land some of their aircraft in New Delhi.

Star Alliance was formed in 1997 and has 27 airline-members which cooperate on flights and codes.