Europe travel warning
- Lufthansa said on April 21 it will cancel 20,000 short-haul flights across its network through October, after jet fuel prices doubled since the outbreak of the Iran conflict. - The airline said the cuts will save more than 40,000 metric tons of fuel; the first 120 flights were already canceled, and hubs in Frankfurt and Munich are among those affected. - Europe is scrambling for fuel before peak summer demand, with August jet fuel use typically 40% above March and Brussels weighing stockpiles and sharing rules. (cnbc.com)
Lufthansa said on April 21 it will cancel 20,000 short-haul flights through October as Europe’s jet fuel squeeze starts hitting summer schedules. (politico.eu) The group said jet fuel prices have doubled since the outbreak of the Iran conflict and that the cuts should save more than 40,000 metric tons of fuel. The first 120 flights were canceled on April 20. (politico.eu) The canceled flights include services previously operated by Lufthansa CityLine, the regional unit Lufthansa decided last week to retire early along with 27 aircraft. Frankfurt, Munich, Zurich, Vienna, Brussels and Rome are among the hubs affected. (politico.eu) The pressure is not only about price. Fatih Birol, head of the International Energy Agency, said Europe may struggle to meet summer jet fuel demand if it cannot secure more imports while the Strait of Hormuz remains closed. (cnbc.com) Birol told CNBC that August jet fuel demand is typically 40% higher than March demand. He said Middle East refineries normally provide around 75% of Europe’s jet fuel, while Europe is now trying to replace lost supply with imports from the United States and Nigeria. (cnbc.com) Other carriers have already moved. Politico reported SAS canceled about 1,000 flights because of high fuel costs, and Air France-KLM added a €100 surcharge on long-haul tickets. (politico.eu) (marketscreener.com) (voyages-d-affaires.com) European officials are now discussing how to manage a shortage if it worsens. Reuters reported on April 22 that the European Union is considering jet fuel stockpile rules and redistribution based on regional need. (msn.com) There is still disagreement over how fast supplies could run out. Deutsche Welle reported that Birol warned Europe had as little as six weeks of jet fuel left, while the Dutch government said on April 21 that the European Union had enough kerosene for at least five months. (dw.com) For travelers, the immediate change is not a blanket shutdown but a thinner schedule and higher fares on routes with less backup capacity. Lufthansa said broader revisions for the coming months will be published in late April or early May. (politico.eu)
