Lufthansa to Cut 20,000 Flights by October: What We Know About the Summer Schedule Adjustments
22 April 10:57
The German airline group Lufthansa Group has announced plans to streamline its summer flight schedule, under which 20,000 short-haul flights will be removed from the schedule by October 2026. This was reported by Lufthansa, according to "Komersant Ukrainian"
The company explained the decision by the need to stabilize the schedule, reduce fuel costs, and adapt the network to the sharp rise in jet fuel prices following the start of the conflict with Iran.
How many flights will Lufthansa cut?
The Lufthansa Group has explicitly stated that it will remove a total of 20,000 short-haul flights from its schedule by October.
According to the company, this is equivalent to savings of approximately 40,000 metric tons of jet fuel. The group’s press service also emphasized that the cuts will specifically affect the summer season.
The Financial Times specifies that this refers to the period from May to October, while Reuters notes that pressure on the industry has intensified due to a doubling of jet fuel prices following the start of the war with Iran.
Why Lufthansa is cutting its flight schedule
Lufthansa explained that the optimization is linked to a sharp rise in fuel costs and the need to maintain operational stability during the summer season.
The company’s press release states that the price of jet fuel has doubled since the start of the conflict with Iran, while Reuters reports that European carriers are increasingly concerned not only about high costs but also about risks to the stability of supplies.
Earlier, the International Energy Agency warned of potential risks to summer air travel in Europe if fuel supply disruptions persist.
Which Lufthansa hubs will be affected by the optimization
The company announced that it is discontinuing some of the less profitable routes from its key hubs in Frankfurt and Munich, instead redistributing traffic more broadly through the group’s other hub airports—Zurich, Vienna, and Brussels.
In this way, Lufthansa is attempting to maintain the overall efficiency of its network and minimize the impact on passengers.
How much will total capacity decrease?
Despite the large-scale reduction in flights, Lufthansa claims that the group’s total capacity will decrease by less than 1%. The company clarified that this refers to available seat kilometers (ASK)—the total number of seats offered across the network.
What changes have already been implemented
Lufthansa has already begun implementing changes to its schedule. According to the Financial Times, by the end of May, the company had canceled about 120 daily flights, and passengers were notified of the adjustments in advance. Additionally, some routes from Frankfurt and Munich have been temporarily suspended for the summer season.
Among the destinations temporarily affected by the changes are Bydgoszcz and Rzeszów in Poland, as well as Stavanger in Norway.
When will Lufthansa release its new summer schedule?
Lufthansa stated that it plans to present a fully updated summer schedule, which will reflect all changes, in late April or early May.
The company calls this part of a strategy to ensure more stable flight planning for the entire season.
Why the issue of jet fuel has become critical for Europe
The problem has gone beyond a single company. Reuters reported that European carriers and officials are discussing options in case the fuel crisis worsens, and the EU is considering alternative sources of supply, particularly from the U.S.
In this context, Lufthansa has become one of the first major airline groups to implement such extensive schedule cuts.
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