Facing the possibility of widespread jet fuel shortages this summer, Lufthansa is considering adding refueling stops to currently nonstop flights.
On an earnings call Wednesday morning, Lufthansa CFO Till Streichert said the airline is not facing imminent fuel shortages and should be secure until June. But if the conflict in the Middle East is not resolved and global supply runs low, he added, the carrier will have to consider new measures, including adding “tank stops” on certain connections, most likely to Asia and Africa.
The stops may be needed because destination airports could be depleted.
Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr noted that there are rare occasions when a destination airport runs out of fuel, making it necessary for flights to stop elsewhere.
The carrier is also considering loading up its aircraft with enough fuel for their outgoing and return journeys. This practice, known as tankering, is limited under European law, but Spohr said he will encourage regulators to temporarily ease those rules.
Lufthansa has already made sweeping changes to its summer schedule, axing 20,000 flights through October and temporarily suspending service to three destinations in Europe. It has also grounded older, less efficient aircraft.
In April, the carrier accelerated the shutdown of Munich-based Lufthansa CityLine in an effort to contain the subsidiary’s longstanding losses.
