Lufthansa is cutting 20,000 short-haul flights from its summer schedule due to soaring fuel prices, the airline announced Tuesday.
The German carrier said the price spike has rendered many regional journeys "unprofitable" for the firm, according to bbc.com.
Jet fuel costs have doubled since the onset of the conflict between the US, Israel, and Iran. The geopolitical tension has slowed both the production and transportation of fuel across the Middle East.
Supply chain disruptions
The Gulf region provides roughly 50% of Europe's aviation fuel imports. Much of this supply moves through the Strait of Hormuz, a route Iran has effectively closed following attacks by US and Israeli forces.
Energy Intelligence reports that the Al-Zour refinery in Kuwait alone accounts for approximately 10% of Europe's jet fuel imports. This reliance makes the European market vulnerable to regional instability.
Analysts warned travellers to expect more cancelled flights and rising ticket prices as the conflict persists, the outlet reported. Other major carriers, including Delta and KLM-France, have also implemented temporary flight cuts or raised fares to pass costs to passengers.
Lufthansa confirmed it is reducing its European network but noted that passengers will "continue to have access to the global route network, particularly long-haul connections."
The airline explained that these adjustments will allow the company to operate "significantly more efficiently than before." The cuts are expected to save approximately 40,000 metric tons of jet fuel.
The move follows the airline's recent decision to accelerate the permanent closure of its CityLine European service. Lufthansa previously stated it would retire the program's 27 aircraft due to rising kerosene prices and labor disputes.
The airline began implementing the first 120 of these flight reductions on Tuesday. Affected routes include services from Frankfurt to Norway and Poland, bbc.com reported.
