A major European airline has cancelled a UK route that has been operating since 2018, confirming that bookings will cease at the end of the month. This decision comes as the German carrier, one of the largest in Europe, announces plans to cut 20,000 short-haul flights over the summer due to rising jet fuel prices driven by conflict in the Middle East.
Route Cancellation Details
Lufthansa, the flag carrier airline for Germany, has announced it will no longer operate its direct service between Glasgow and Frankfurt. The last available flight on this route is scheduled for May 31. The route was first launched in 2018 and has been a key connection for Scottish travellers.
A Lufthansa Group spokesperson explained: "Following the decision to discontinue Lufthansa CityLine flights effective immediately and to reduce unprofitable flights in the future due to high kerosene prices, the Lufthansa Group's summer schedule will be reduced by just under one percent of available seat-kilometers. To compensate for this, Lufthansa has taken immediate action and will consolidate the flight schedules of all Lufthansa Group airlines, cancelling 20,000 flights by the end of October. As a result of these decisions, flights to Glasgow will no longer be operated by Lufthansa via Frankfurt, but for the time being, by Edelweiss via Zurich offering access to the Swiss International Air Lines network."
Wider Impact on Aviation
Lufthansa is not the only airline affected by the jet fuel crisis. Scandinavian airline SAS has confirmed it is cancelling over 1,000 flights after the cost of jet fuel doubled. In the United States, United Airlines announced it would cancel 5% of flights in the short term, aiming to restore its full schedule by autumn.
Other airlines are raising prices to cover soaring costs. Virgin Atlantic has stated that the aviation sector "cannot absorb" jet fuel costs at current levels, forcing them to increase ticket prices. Corneel Koster, Virgin Atlantic's chief executive, told the Telegraph: "I was looking at improving our financial results by a really significant chunk. And then this happens. We have never seen jet fuel at these levels, with prices more than doubling. The industry cannot absorb increases like this."
Surcharges and Cost Breakdown
Virgin Atlantic has added a surcharge of £50 to economy class tickets, £180 for premium economy, and £360 for business class passengers. However, the airline says these surcharges still do not cover the rising costs. After labour costs, fuel is the second-highest expense for airlines, accounting for around 27% of operating expenses. Jet fuel prices have doubled since the conflict began, rising from $85 to $90 per barrel to $150 to $200 per barrel in recent weeks.
The aviation industry continues to grapple with these challenges, and further cancellations or price increases may be expected as the situation evolves.
