-More flights to Asia and Africa as capacity shifts away from the region
Lufthansa Group is making urgent adjustments to its flight schedule in response to the ongoing crisis in the Middle East, reallocating aircraft capacity to destinations with stronger demand, particularly in Asia and Africa.
The announcement was made by Carsten Spohr, CEO of Lufthansa Group, during the company’s annual press conference in Frankfurt presenting its 2025 financial results.
According to Spohr, the airline group has had to cancel flights to ten destinations in the Middle East, creating excess capacity that will now be redirected to markets with stronger demand.
“Due to the current flight cancellations to the Middle East, we now have surplus capacity,” Spohr said. “This capacity will be redirected to destinations where demand currently exists.”
New flights to Bangkok
As part of the adjustment, Austrian Airlines will introduce flights from Bangkok to Vienna, replacing some of the capacity previously scheduled for Dubai.
The new Bangkok services are already open for booking and reflect the strong demand currently seen for travel to Asia.
Expansion of routes to Asia and Africa
The Lufthansa Group is also planning to increase flights in the short term to several key destinations, including:
- Singapore
- Shanghai
- Delhi
- Cape Town
Depending on the development of the situation, the number of flights to Riyadh could also increase.
The airline group is adapting its network dynamically as the situation in the Middle East remains highly volatile.
During the press conference, Spohr received a message informing him that a planned Lufthansa repatriation flight to Riyadh had been diverted to Cairo for security reasons.
Repatriation flights for European governments
Airlines within the Lufthansa Group, including Eurowings, are also supporting repatriation efforts for European governments, helping to bring citizens back from the Middle East.
At the same time, the group aims to respond to rising demand for travel to and from Asia and Africa.
Gulf hubs seen as geopolitical vulnerability
Spohr also warned that the crisis highlights a structural issue in global aviation.
“The massive concentration of global traffic flows through Gulf hubs is increasingly proving to be a geopolitical Achilles’ heel,” he said.
However, he avoided making predictions about how long the crisis may last, emphasizing that the situation remains highly uncertain.
Limited short-term impact from oil price increases
The Lufthansa CEO noted that oil prices are already rising due to the geopolitical tensions.
Nevertheless, the airline group expects limited short-term impact, as it has already secured more than 80% of its annual fuel requirements at earlier price levels.
Potential opportunities for European airlines
Despite the challenges, Spohr believes the geopolitical shift could create opportunities for European airlines.
According to him, passenger flows could gradually shift away from Gulf hubs toward European hubs if travelers become less willing to transit through the region.
Spohr expressed confidence that the Lufthansa Group, with strong brands such as Lufthansa and Swiss, is well positioned to benefit from such a development.
