Flights cancelled fuel shortage: What has EasyJet’s boss Kenton Jarvis said?

German airline Lufthansa issued a press release on April 16 where they shared that the 27 operational aircraft of Lufthansa CityLine will be permanently removed from their flight program. The statement read: “In view of significantly increased kerosene prices, which have more than doubled compared to the period before the Iran war, as well as rising additional burdens from labor disputes, the implementation of the corporate strategy is being partially accelerated. To this end, an initial package has been approved that provides for a reduction of the flight program on short-, medium-, and long-haul routes, as well as measures for early fleet modernization.

As well as permanently removing the 27 operational aircraft of Lufthansa CityLine from their flight program, the airline also announced that “its long-haul capacity will be reduced by a total of six intercontinental aircraft at the end of the summer flight schedule.

“In the coming 2026/27 winter flight schedule, the third step will take place with a reduction in the capacities of the Lufthansa core brand as part of the envisaged consolidation of short- and medium-haul traffic across six hubs of the Lufthansa Group. This additional capacity reduction corresponds to five aircraft of the Lufthansa core brand.”

Till Streichert, Chief Financial Officer and CFO of Lufthansa Group commented on their strategy and said: “The package for accelerated implementation of fleet and capacity measures is unavoidable in light of the sharply increased kerosene costs and geopolitical instability. The goal is to focus our short- and medium-haul platforms more clearly and make them more competitive.”

“In this regard, we had already identified the prospective removal of CityLine from our program as part of our strategic development for some time, independently of the current geopolitical crisis. The current crisis is now forcing us to implement this measure earlier. This is a painful step, particularly with regard to the colleagues at Lufthansa CityLine. It is therefore all the more important now to find continued employment opportunities within the Group."

IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol has spoken about jet fuel supplies and has said that “Europe has “maybe six weeks or so” of remaining jet fuel supplies. Fatih Birol also told the Associated Press that “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.”

EasyJet’s boss Kenton Jarvis has also commented on the situation and said: “We have visibility [on the availability of aviation fuel] to the middle of May and have no concerns.”