Lufthansa Group adjusts summer flight schedule and reduces capacity slightly

Germany

Unprofitable routes are removed while hub operations in Zurich, Vienna and Brussels expand

The Lufthansa Group is optimizing its summer flight schedule across its six European hubs. The airline group plans a slight reduction in capacity by cancelling selected short-haul flights while strengthening operations on other routes. Overall capacity measured in available seat kilometers (ASK) will decline by less than one percent.

The adjustments primarily affect flights previously operated by Lufthansa CityLine. By October, around 20,000 short-haul flights will be removed from the schedule. According to the company, this measure will reduce jet fuel consumption by more than 40,000 metric tons at a time when fuel prices have doubled following the outbreak of the Iran conflict.

Network consolidation across six European hubs

The schedule changes are part of a broader effort to streamline the Lufthansa Group’s European network. The optimization affects operations at the company’s six hubs in Frankfurt, Munich, Zurich, Vienna, Brussels and Rome.

While some short-haul routes are being discontinued, the group is simultaneously strengthening connections through other hubs. Passengers will continue to have access to the airline’s global route network, particularly long-haul services, while the company aims to operate the network more efficiently under current cost conditions.

The strategy also accelerates a key step in the consolidation of European hub operations within the group’s airlines, including Lufthansa Airlines, SWISS, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines and ITA Airways.

Initial schedule adjustments already implemented

The first operational changes took effect immediately and include the cancellation of around 120 daily flights through 31 May. Affected passengers have already been notified.

Several routes from Frankfurt have been temporarily removed from the schedule, including flights to Bydgoszcz and Rzeszów in Poland as well as Stavanger in Norway. At the same time, ten other routes are being consolidated within the Lufthansa Group network and will continue to be served through alternative hubs. These include connections to destinations such as Cork, Gdańsk, Ljubljana, Rijeka, Sibiu, Stuttgart, Trondheim, Tivat and Wrocław.

Further schedule adjustments expected

The Lufthansa Group is currently revising its medium-term route planning for the coming months. Updated details on the summer schedule are expected to be published in late April or early May.

These adjustments are intended to stabilize the flight program for the remainder of the summer season while aligning capacity more closely with operational conditions and demand.

Fuel supply secured despite price pressures

Despite rising fuel costs, the Lufthansa Group expects fuel supply for the coming weeks to remain largely stable. The company is pursuing several measures to manage the situation, including physical procurement strategies and price hedging to limit exposure to market volatility.

Through these operational adjustments, the group aims to maintain schedule reliability and network coverage while improving efficiency across its European operations.