German airline Lufthansa Group has announced the cancellation of 20,000 short-haul flights from its European summer schedule, citing soaring jet fuel prices that have rendered many routes financially unviable in the wake of the ongoing US-Iran conflict.
Lufthansa said it would scrap 20,000 unprofitable short-haul flights from its European summer schedule to save on jet fuel, the price of which has doubled since the start of the Iran war.
The cuts, running through October, will save approximately 40,000 metric tonnes of jet fuel and reduce the group’s summer capacity by one percent of available seat kilometres. The consolidation spans Lufthansa Group’s six hubs in Frankfurt, Munich, Zurich, Vienna, Brussels, and Rome, with unprofitable short-haul routes at Frankfurt and Munich bearing the brunt of the reductions.
European jet fuel prices reached a record $1,840 per metric ton in early April 2026, and the first wave of cancellations took effect on April 20, with 120 daily flights removed through the end of May.
Lufthansa said it would expand routes from its hubs in Zurich, Vienna, and Brussels to partially offset the cuts, while maintaining access to its global long-haul network. The move follows the airline’s earlier decision to permanently shut down its CityLine regional subsidiary and ground 27 older, fuel-intensive aircraft.
Lufthansa is not the only carrier adjusting to the new cost environment. Dutch airline KLM said it was not short of fuel but was cutting 80 return flights to and from Amsterdam to save money, while Ryanair warned its suppliers could guarantee enough jet fuel only through most of May. TAP Air Portugal raised ticket prices to offset costs, and Norse Atlantic Airways cancelled its Los Angeles routes.
According to data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the weekly average price of jet fuel in Europe currently stands at $188 per barrel, up over 106 percent from last year’s average.
The European Union has moved to clarify passenger rights and airline public service obligations amid the emerging supply pressures, though the European Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism said there is no evidence of actual shortages at this stage.
NewsGhana has reported extensively on the US-Iran conflict and its impact on global energy markets, including sharp rises in fuel prices across Africa that prompted the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) to raise Ghana’s fuel price floors earlier this month.
