BANGKOK, THAILAND – German carrier Lufthansa cancelled tens of thousands of flights as the Middle East crisis sent fuel costs soaring.
Massive cuts to flight schedule
The Lufthansa Group pulled the emergency brake and cancelled more than 20,000 flights. The reductions primarily affected short-haul routes, which were expected to remain suspended into October.
The first 120 daily flights were already cut on the previous Monday. According to the company, these tough measures were to remain firmly in place at least until the end of May.
War drives fuel prices higher
The conflict with Iran caused the cost of aviation fuel to surge dramatically. Since fighting broke out on 28 February, the price of fuel almost doubled.
Routes that had previously generated solid profits were now producing heavy losses for airlines. Carriers such as Swiss and Austrian Airlines also had to make major cuts to their schedules.
Fears of dry tanks in Europe
Europe faced a dangerous kerosene shortage, as 70 percent of its demand had to be imported. If key straits in the Middle East remained blocked, new supplies would no longer reach airports.
Experts warned of possible fuel rationing as early as the following week. Lufthansa aimed to save around 40,000 tonnes of fuel through the cancellations to prevent an even more severe situation.
Travel plans at risk
For millions of passengers, the decision meant deep uncertainty about their holiday plans. The airline was responding to a crisis that threatened to bring the entire aviation sector to its knees.
Within the group, all subsidiaries were required to tighten their belts. Whether flight operations could return to normal in winter remained completely unclear given the ongoing situation.