Germany’s flag carrier airline Lufthansa said Wednesday that it was canceling 20,000 short-haul flights within Europe to save money, citing the dramatic spike in the price of jet fuel caused by the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran, which has dramatically constrained the flow of petroleum products through the Strait of Hormuz.
“In total, 20,000 short-haul flights will be removed from the schedule through October, equivalent to approximately 40,000 metric tons of jet fuel, the price of which has doubled since the outbreak of the Iran conflict,” the airline said in a statement.
“The planned consolidation of the European network is being carried out across Lufthansa Group’s six hubs in Frankfurt, Munich, Zurich, Vienna, Brussels, and Rome,” the airline said. “Passengers will therefore continue to have access to the global route network, particularly long-haul connections.”
Several other major airlines — in both Europe and the U.S., which is far less reliant on fuel supplies from the Middle East — had already announced temporary flight cuts.
Air Canada, Delta, and other airlines announced cancellations earlier this month.
“The spike in oil prices is big news in general and the impact on jet fuel prices is pronounced,” Stephen Rooney, lead economist at Tourism Economics, told CBS News last week. “Jet fuel is a huge cost for airlines, especially on longer-haul flights.”
