Lufthansa flight cuts: 100 weekly flights hit by taxes

Lufthansa flight cuts are set to remove roughly 100 weekly departures across German airports as the carrier blames rising taxes and fees for unsustainable route economics.

Deutsche Lufthansa AG (IATA: LH, ICAO: DLH) confirmed the reductions will appear across its upcoming schedule and warned the shrinkage could extend into the 2026 summer season as part of a wider restructuring to stop persistent losses on some domestic services.

Lufthansa flight cuts and German tax pressure

The carrier cited higher government levies and airport charges as primary drivers making many thin domestic markets unprofitable. Low-cost rival Ryanair (IATA: FR, ICAO: RYR) has made similar moves, saying new aviation taxes and rising operating costs in Germany have rendered routes non-viable.

That combination — steeper regulatory costs plus stubbornly weak yields on certain city pairs — is pushing airlines to trim capacity rather than accept continued losses. For passengers this can mean fewer choices and higher fares on remaining services, while airports face reduced flight frequency and potential revenue shortfalls.

• Why this matters: Lufthansa flight cuts remove capacity, squeeze route competition, and could affect schedules into summer 2026.
• Who’s affected: domestic German routes and regional links across multiple German airports.
• Industry impact: carriers say taxes make network planning harder and profitability more fragile.

Lufthansa’s action signals rising pressure on the German aviation ecosystem: airlines, airports and regulators will need to balance environmental and fiscal goals with the economic reality of running short-haul networks. For now, passengers should expect some timetable changes and possible fare adjustments while carriers reassess which routes can return to profit.