Lufthansa cuts 20,000 summer flights as fuel prices surge

The airline is the latest to cut flights as the US-Israel war with Iran sends jet fuel prices soaring. Lufthansa cuts 20,000 summer flights as fuel prices surge Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. A Lufthansa Aircraft landing at Mexico City Airport Parked Lufthansa aircraft are lined up at Frankfurt Airport on April 13, 2026. German airline Lufthansa will cut 20,000 European short-haul flights over the summer, saying soaring fuel prices have made many journeys "unprofitable" for the firm. German airline Lufthansa will cut 20,000 European short-haul flights over the summer, saying soaring fuel prices have made many journeys "unprofitable" for the firm. Jet fuel has doubled in price since the start of the US-Israel war with Iran as the conflict has slowed its production and transportation across the Middle East. Several airlines, including KLM-France and Delta, have also temporarily cut some flights while others have raised ticket prices as they pass on expenses to customers. Several airlines, including KLM-France and Delta, Analysts have warned that travellers should expect further ticket price rises and more cancelled flights as the conflict continues. Young woman wearing blue jeans, a grey trenchcoat and white trainers sits on her suitcase at an airport, clutching her passport and ticket Airlines cut flights and hike fares as fuel prices surge The Gulf is a major source of aviation fuel, accounting for about 50% of Europe's imports. The bulk of it comes through the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has effectively closed in response to US and Israeli attacks. Lufthansa said on Tuesday it would save roughly 40,000 metric tons of jet fuel through its flight cuts, the majority of which will come from the closure of its CityLine service. It said this means it will temporarily stop flying to and from Heringsdorf, Cork, Gdańsk, Ljubljana, Rijeka, Sibiu, Stuttgart, Trondheim, Tivat, and Wrocław. The firm will either refund affected passengers or book them on to alternative flights with one of its other airlines – SWISS, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, and ITA Airways – where possible. Some of the flight cuts could become permanent. Lufthansa said it was reviewing its whole European schedule and would release more details later in April. The International Energy Agency warned last week that Europe could run out of jet fuel in weeks, though the UK government and airlines say they are not seeing a disruption in supply. The International Energy Agency warned last week that Europe could run out of jet fuel in weeks , though the UK government and airlines say they are not seeing a disruption in supply. The EU said on Wednesday it will set up a fuel observatory to track EU production, imports, exports and stock levels of transport fuels to identify potential shortages. It said it hoped this would "mitigate the impact of high fuel prices and possible fuel shortages on the EU aviation sector". Lufthansa said on Tuesday it was cutting down its European network, but that passengers will "continue to have access to the global route network, particularly long-haul connections". "However, due to the increase in jet fuel prices, this will be achieved significantly more efficiently than before." Tuesday's announcement comes after it said last week it was accelerating the closure of CityLine, retiring 27 aircraft, due to "significantly increased" fuel prices and "additional burdens from labour disputes". Have you been impacted by the issues discussed in this story? Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways: Email: yourvoice@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 7756 165803 Tweet: @BBC_HaveYourSay And you can send us a video note via  WhatsApp or by  using this link .   A woman with luggage stands with her back to the camera looking at a plane through a window. Europe has 'maybe six weeks of jet fuel left', energy boss warns A woman wearing a dark turquoise top is seen from behind, standing looking at an airport departures board. She is holding her passport and boarding pass Air fares soar by nearly 25% as Iran war forces flights to re-route A BBC investigation in 2023 heard from more than 100 McDonald's workers in the UK claiming they faced sexual assault, harassment, racism, and bullying The figures provide the first official look at the impact of the Iran war on the cost of living in the UK. The drop has been largely driven by a rise in the number of people not actively seeking work. Some Manx passport holders recently faced issues with deportation or being denied entry to China. Logistics companies say they have seen fuel price rises of more than 24%. The flight became airborne 200m from the end of the runway, investigators say. Lebanon's prime minister accused Israel of war crimes after IDF attacks on Red Cross vehicles also stopped rescuers from reaching the site. Iran's chief negotiator says "violations" by the US and Israel make it impossible to open the strait.