Africa and the Middle East occupy a peculiar place in global aviation. One is home to some of the world’s most powerful connecting hubs, the other remains one of the least connected regions on earth. Yet at this year’s IATA Annual General Meeting in Rio de Janeiro, the two were presented less as separate stories than as adjoining chapters in the same strategic question: where will aviation’s next phase of growth come from, and what will it take to unlock it?

The Lufthansa Group welcomes the decision of the Federal Republic of Germany to abolish airport transit visa requirements for Indian nationals travelling to third countries via German airports, effective 3 June 2026. This policy change, announced by the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in New Delhi, will make journeys via key German hubs more seamless for Indian passengers and further strengthen air connectivity between India, Germany and the rest of the world.