German Airline Lufthansa is planning to cut over 3,000 flights at its hubs in Frankfurt and Munich this summer due to strikes and staff shortages.
Lufthansa already cut back 5% of summer operations on Fridays and weekends, including 900 connections. The company said this action was necessary due to a shortage of personnel at airports, ground services, and aviation security, which the entire European aviation sector is suffering. Moreover, Lufthansa also reported an increase in sick leave over the last few days.
The German flag carrier has now confirmed it will cancel around 2,200 flights from its hubs in Frankfurt and Munich for the summer. The routes that will be affected over the summer months consist primarily of frequent intra-European flights and domestic routes. The German company has decided to focus its cuts on short- and medium-haul flights with many alternative travel options—by air or rail—to ensure that vacation routes are affected as little as possible.
Lufthansa said it might also modify flight times and has promised to notify passengers as soon as possible.
The cuts of operations will also affect Lufthansa’s own low-cost carrier, Eurowings, which also announced “several hundred fewer flights” in July.
The airline group expects the situation to return to normal in 2023.
In recent months, the aviation industry has faced significant delays and cancellations worldwide. Major hub airports throughout Europe have faced severe staff shortages as travel comes back to pre pandemic levels. In the past few weeks, the struggle has been particularly evident as strikes, averse weather events, and an increase in short-notice sick calls have put additional pressure on the aviation industry.
