Lufthansa to cut domestic flights amid rising costs and taxes in Germany

German flag carrier Lufthansa plans to scale back its domestic flight operations as part of efforts to cope with soaring operational costs, mounting taxes, and rising airport fees, Azernews reports, citing Germany’s media outlets.

Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr told local media that expenses have doubled since 2019, prompting the airline to cancel approximately 100 domestic flights per week next summer. He warned that further reductions would be inevitable if local costs are not brought under control.

Spohr noted that certain routes — including Munich–Münster/Osnabrück and Munich–Dresden — are particularly at risk, as operations on these lines have become unprofitable.

While international travel has largely recovered to pre-pandemic levels, domestic routes in Germany continue to lag behind. Business travel, in particular, remains significantly lower than before 2020. Lufthansa attributes this ongoing decline to the widespread shift toward videoconferencing, which has reduced the need for in-person meetings.