DID Press: German aviation giant Lufthansa has announced the cancellation of 20,000 short-haul flights through the end of October, a sweeping measure taken in response to sharply rising jet fuel costs.
The airline stated that the large-scale reduction will primarily target short-distance routes, with approximately 20,000 flights being removed from its operational schedule by the end of October. The move comes amid significant increases in jet fuel prices that have placed mounting financial pressure on airlines worldwide.
Company officials indicated that jet fuel prices have nearly doubled since tensions involving Iran began escalating, severely squeezing profit margins across the aviation sector.
Lufthansa said the primary objective of the decision is to save more than 40,000 tons of jet fuel and maintain control over operating costs under current market conditions.
The airline emphasized that the cuts will mainly affect routes with lower economic returns, particularly short-haul flights, which aviation analysts note tend to incur higher fuel consumption per kilometer due to the fuel-intensive phases of takeoff and landing.
In a related cost-cutting step, Lufthansa last week also announced the early retirement of 27 aircraft from its subsidiary fleet, part of a broader strategy aimed at improving operational efficiency and reducing expenses.