Lufthansa appears to be preparing for the potential grounding of up to 40 aircraft due to the escalating fuel crisis. This information, reported by Der Spiegel citing internal comments from CEO Carsten Spohr, was revealed during an employee gathering last Friday.
Spohr indicated that, within 72 hours, the expensive kerosene had become a severe supply issue. Flights at an increasing number of airports face the risk of fuel shortages. Some airports in Asia have already begun refusing additional flights to conserve their reserves for the established flight schedules.
The board of directors commissioned two crisis packages on Friday morning. The first package involves reducing the passenger seat capacity by 2.5 percent, corresponding to approximately 20 aircraft. Cautiously, a second package is being prepared, which would account for about 40 planes.
The aircraft most likely to be affected initially are the older, higher-consuming models, such as the Airbus A340 and the Boeing 747-400. Although a final decision on grounding has not yet been made, any potential flight cancellations are not expected until the third quarter, possibly not until the winter months.
Despite the airline having secured around 80 percent of its fuel at fixed prices, Spohr estimates the additional costs caused by the war to be around 1.5 billion euros. Furthermore, he added that the planned four percent growth for the year is likely no longer attainable.
