The extended refusal of entry of the Israeli authorities, which apply from March 6, also for travelers from Germany, Switzerland and Austria, among others, will lead to a considerable drop in demand for flights to Israel. As a result, Lufthansa, SWISS and Austrian Airlines will cancel all their flights to Tel Aviv and Eilat as of Sunday March 8, 2020 for the remaining winter timetable period until March 28. The Lufthansa Group sees itself forced to make this cancellation for economic and operational reasons, as many passengers are no longer entitled to enter the country.
So far Lufthansa has canceled 7,100 European flights in March. Due to the exceptional circumstances caused by the spread of coronavirus and the decline in demand, the Lufthansa Group has decided to reduce capacity by up to 25%. The route cancellations and frequency adjustments correspond to a calculated capacity of 150 aircraft, of which 125 are short- and medium-haul and are 25 long haul. The Lufthansa Group fleet currently comprises around 770 aircraft, including some 180 long-haul aircraft.
In addition, the Lufthansa Group has announced further cost-cutting measures in the areas of personnel, materials and project budgets.
