German aviation company Lufthansa Group, which owns Lufthansa Airlines and other European carriers, said it would cut 20,000 short-haul flights through October, citing higher fuel costs due to the war in Iran. The Lufthansa Group said the cuts would focus on less profitable routes, especially from its Germany-based hubs in Frankfurt and Munich. Lufthansa cuts 20,000 flights to save fuel as prices soar https://t.co/BShIt2eIad — Financial Times (@FT) April 21, 2026 More from the Associated Press: The company last week shut down one of its regional subsidiaries, CityLine, to cut costs. It said a “planned consolidation” within its European network also would involve Lufthansa Airlines, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, SWISS and ITA Airways, and hubs in Brussels, Rome, Vienna and Zurich. The price of jet fuel has more than doubled in some markets since late February, when the war began with U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran. Airlines are particularly vulnerable to fuel price shocks because jet fuel typically accounts for one of their largest operating expenses. For travelers, that is already translating into fewer flight options on some routes and higher fees and fares heading into the peak summer season, with many airlines raising checked bag fees or adding fuel surcharges. The head of the International Energy Agency (IEA) said last week that Europe has approximately six weeks of jet fuel left if supplies remain blocked due to the Iran war. IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol said it’s “the largest energy crisis we have ever faced.” The Strait of Hormuz, a focal point in the Iran war, is a critical global energy chokepoint that supplies roughly 20% of the world’s total oil supply. “In the past there was a group called ‘Dire Straits.’ It’s a dire strait now, and it is going to have major implications for the global economy. And the longer it goes, the worse it will be for the economic growth and inflation around the world,” he told the Associated Press. International Energy Agency Head Says Europe Has Approximately Six Weeks Of Remaining Jet Fuel Al Jazeera noted: Lufthansa said it has secured enough jet fuel “for the coming weeks” and was “pursuing a range of measures” to keep its fuel supply stable for the summer, “including the physical procurement of jet fuel”. The global price of jet fuel increased from about $99 per barrel at the end of February to as high as $209 a barrel at the beginning of April, the Associated Press news agency reported. What’s your assessment?