Lufthansa to cancel nearly 20,000 flights to cut fuel costs

German airline Lufthansa has decided to cancel around 20,000 flights through October amid a sharp rise in aviation fuel prices. The first cancellations began already the previous day, with passengers notified in advance.

The reductions primarily affect short-haul routes and are expected to save approximately 40,000 tons of fuel, the cost of which has more than doubled since the outbreak of the conflict in the Middle East, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

Lufthansa described the move as “optimisation,” stating that the cuts mainly target unprofitable routes. Among the already cancelled flights are services from Frankfurt to the Polish cities of Bydgoszcz and Rzeszów, as well as to Stavanger in Norway.

The airline plans to publish its updated summer schedule at the end of April or early May.

At the same time, Lufthansa emphasised that current fuel reserves are sufficient to maintain flight operations over the coming weeks.

By Jeyhun Aghazada