Energy Crisis Hits Europe, Lufthansa Cuts 20,000 Flights Amid Soaring Jet Fuel Prices

The energy crisis sweeping Europe is now directly impacting the aviation industry. German carrier Lufthansa has decided to cut around 20,000 short-haul flights throughout the summer amid surging jet fuel prices, which are increasingly squeezing operational costs and rendering certain routes unprofitable from a business perspective.

Lufthansa’s management stated that jet fuel prices have doubled since the outbreak of the war between the United States (US) and Israel with Iran. The conflict centred in the Middle East is said to have disrupted energy production and distribution in the region, directly affecting the global aviation sector.

“However, with the rise in jet fuel prices, operations will be conducted more efficiently than before,” said Lufthansa management, quoted from the BBC on Thursday, 23 April 202.

Lufthansa estimates that this route reduction will save around 40,000 metric tons of jet fuel, with most of the savings coming from the closure of CityLine services.

The airline will also temporarily suspend several routes, including flights to and from Heringsdorf, Cork, Gdańsk, Ljubljana, Rijeka, Sibiu, Stuttgart, Trondheim, Tivat, and Wrocław.

For affected passengers, Lufthansa management will provide options for refunds or rerouting to other flights through the group’s airline network, such as SWISS, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, and ITA Airways.

Furthermore, the company indicated that some of these route cuts will be permanent. Lufthansa is currently reviewing its entire European flight schedule and will announce further updates this April.

Although route streamlining is occurring in Europe, several global flight networks remain intact, particularly long-haul routes. Previously, Lufthansa had accelerated the closure of CityLine services and planned to retire 27 aircraft amid fuel cost pressures and additional impacts from industrial relations tensions.

The company’s decision to close tens of thousands of flight routes follows similar actions by other airlines, such as KLM in France and Delta Air Lines. Meanwhile, some other operators have chosen to raise ticket prices to cover swelling operational costs.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) has already warned that Europe could face aircraft fuel shortages within weeks. Nevertheless, the UK government and aviation industry players state that they have not yet seen any direct supply disruptions.