Lufthansa Group has begun trimming its summer schedule by about 20,000 short-haul flights through October as soaring jet fuel costs force airlines to rethink capacity across Europe.

The cuts, which the company says will mainly affect its Frankfurt and Munich hubs, are designed to remove weaker routes from the timetable and save more than 40,000 metric tonnes of fuel. Lufthansa has linked the decision to a sharp rise in aviation fuel prices after the conflict involving the US and Iran disrupted supply routes through the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint for global energy shipments.

Other carriers have also been pulled into the same squeeze. Reuters reported that airlines including Delta, United and British Airways have already been adjusting schedules, while Aer Lingus has cut about 500 flights for maintenance reasons and Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary has warned that more cancellations could follow if fuel costs remain elevated.

According to Lufthansa Group, the reductions are concentrated on unprofitable short-haul services and will run across its network of six hubs, including Frankfurt, Munich, Zurich, Vienna, Brussels and Rome. The group said the changes would also reflect the closure of CityLine, its regional subsidiary, which accounts for a further 1% reduction in summer capacity.

For passengers, the disruption raises a separate and often misunderstood issue: what they are actually owed when a flight disappears. Under UK rules, travellers flying from a UK airport on any airline, arriving in the UK on an EU or UK carrier, or flying into the EU on a UK airline are covered by strong protections. If a service is cancelled, the airline must offer either a refund for the unused part of the ticket or a replacement flight.

Those rights go beyond the fare itself. During long waits, airlines must provide care, including meals, drinks and communication costs. If an overnight stay is needed, accommodation and transport to and from the hotel should also be arranged. Where the airline does not organise that assistance directly, passengers can usually book reasonable alternatives themselves and reclaim the cost later, provided they keep receipts.

Compensation is more complicated. A fixed payout may be due if notice was given less than 14 days before departure, but claims are less likely to succeed if the carrier can show the cancellation resulted from extraordinary circumstances. The Civil Aviation Authority says claims should be made to the operating airline rather than the booking agent, even where a third party sold the ticket.

Source: Noah Wire Services