Lufthansa cuts 20,000 summer flights amid soaring jet fuel prices

German airline Lufthansa announced it will reduce 20,000 short-haul flights over the summer due to a sharp increase in jet fuel prices.

The airline cited that many journeys have become unprofitable as fuel costs have doubled since the start of the US-Israel war and related Middle East supply disruptions.

Jet fuel prices have surged largely because of slowed production and transportation in the Middle East, with the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed by Iran in response to US and Israeli military actions.

This strait is a critical transit point for about half of Europe's aviation fuel imports.

Lufthansa stated that the cuts will primarily affect its European network, including routes from Frankfurt to Poland and Norway, but long-haul connections will remain available.

The airline expects these measures to save approximately 40,000 metric tons of jet fuel.

The fuel price increase is linked to the broader geopolitical conflict impacting the Gulf region, a major source of aviation fuel.

The Al-Zour refinery in Kuwait alone supplies roughly 10% of Europe's jet fuel imports, highlighting the region's importance to European aviation.

Other airlines, such as KLM-France and Delta, have also temporarily reduced flights or raised ticket prices to offset rising fuel costs.

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