Lufthansa Cuts Short-Haul Flights While Shifting Focus to Key Hubs

Lufthansa Group is reshaping its summer flight schedule, with a small cut in capacity and changes across six main hubs. Around 20,000 short-haul flights will be removed by October, mainly in Frankfurt and Munich. At the same time, more flights are being added in Zurich, Vienna and Brussels, where routes are performing better.

The changes are linked to rising operating costs, particularly jet fuel, which has sharply increased following tensions involving Iran. By trimming less profitable routes, the group expects to reduce fuel use by more than 40,000 metric tonnes. Despite the cuts, airlines within the group will continue to operate across their wider network, with long-haul services largely unchanged.

Initial adjustments have already started, with around 120 daily flights removed until the end of May. Several routes from Frankfurt, including connections to Bydgoszcz, Rzeszów and Stavanger, have been paused. Other routes are being combined and served through different hubs within the group, allowing connections to continue while reducing duplication across the network.

Where routes are being adjusted

• Frankfurt: selected short-haul routes removed
• Munich: reduced frequency on weaker connections
• Zurich, Vienna, Brussels: increased capacity
• Consolidated routes via hubs: Gdańsk, Ljubljana, Rijeka, Sibiu, Tivat and others

Routes are being reshaped across the network. Some cities that had direct flights will now require a connection, often through Vienna or Zurich. Even so, these destinations are still served, just with an extra step in the journey. At the same time, larger hubs are getting more flights, which can make it easier to find a suitable departure time or onward connection.

Airlines are dropping weaker routes and moving aircraft to busier airports. Some direct flights are no longer running on certain routes, so connections are used more often instead. This can make journeys longer. At the same time, most destinations are still served, but flights are now routed differently rather than being removed altogether.