Air India is adding 400 daily flights and more than 40 new destinations in India to the Star Alliance network.
The Indian flag carrier now offers through check-in to the final destination for connecting flights operated by any alliance member airline for both passengers and baggage.
The addition of Air India brings the Star Alliance network up to 27 member airlines, offering more than 18,500 daily flights serving 1,316 destinations in 192 countries.
Passengers benefit from a wider choice on routes connecting North America, Europe, Asia and Australia via the Indian sub-continent.
Star Alliance chief executive Mark Schwab said: “This is an important day for us. We have said for many years that we needed a strong home carrier in the Indian market and by welcoming Air India to our Star Alliance family, we have achieved this goal.
“We know that the ‘new’ Air India is looking forward to providing the Star Alliance customer benefits to many more travellers.”
The airline’s chairman and managing director Rohit Nandan said: “From today, we open up a completely different world for our passengers, who can now travel to over 1,300 destinations right across the network and enjoy world-class service, better connectivity and seamless travel wherever they go.”