Lufthansa to cut 20,000 short-haul flights as fuel costs surge

Lufthansa will cut around 20,000 short-haul flights from its summer schedule as it moves to address sharply rising fuel costs linked to the Iran conflict.

The airline said the move would deliver “jet fuel savings of more than 40,000 metric tons”, while reducing overall capacity by less than 1% through October.

Most of the cuts will affect unprofitable short-haul routes from Frankfurt and Munich. At the same time, Lufthansa plans to shift traffic across its wider network, expanding selected services from hubs in Zurich, Vienna and Brussels.

First phase of cuts begins

The first changes are already under way. Around 120 daily flights have been cancelled since Tuesday, with passengers notified in advance. Several destinations have been temporarily dropped, including Bydgoszcz and Rzeszów in Poland and Stavanger in Norway.

Some routes will continue but be redirected through other hubs. These include connections linked to Cork, Gdańsk, Stuttgart and Trondheim, among others.

Lufthansa said the adjustments are part of “flight schedule optimisations” aimed at improving efficiency across its European network while protecting long-haul connections, which remain central to its business.

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Fuel costs surge across industry

Fuel prices have surged in recent weeks. The airline said jet fuel costs have “doubled since the outbreak of the Iran conflict”, adding pressure across the industry.

The group said its “jet fuel supply [is] secured for the coming weeks” and that it is using a mix of purchasing and hedging strategies to manage the impact.

A revised medium-term schedule is expected in late April or early May, with further changes to short-haul routes likely.

Other European carriers are also taking action. SAS Scandinavian Airlines has cancelled about 1,000 flights, while Air France-KLM has introduced a €100 surcharge on some long-haul tickets.

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