Lufthansa is reducing its flight schedule due to rising jet fuel costs. The company announced that 20,000 short-haul flights will be cancelled by October.
Lufthansa Group stated that flight options will be optimized and capacity reduced throughout the summer season. It was noted that jet fuel prices have doubled since the conflict in the Middle East began, with the planned cancellations corresponding to around 40,000 metric tons of fuel savings.
The adjustments will mainly target unprofitable short-haul flights, while maintaining the global network more efficiently, especially long-haul connections.
As part of the new planning, 120 flights per day have already started to be cancelled in the first phase, and route planning for the coming months will be revised in line with the reduced capacity.
Meanwhile, International Energy Agency Director Fatih Birol warned last week that Europe could soon face a risk of jet fuel shortages.
Similar moves are also being seen across the sector. KLM announced it will cancel 160 intra-European flights next month due to rising fuel costs, while Lufthansa has also decided to shut down the operations of its subsidiary CityLine amid cost pressures.
In the European Union, refineries can meet around 70% of jet fuel demand, while the remaining portion is largely imported from the Middle East and Gulf countries.
