The move follows last week’s decision to retire the entire 27-aircraft fleet of its subsidiary CityLine ahead of schedule amid surging fuel costs and tightening supply.
The 20,000 cancellations, which include flights previously operated by CityLine, will impact hubs in Frankfurt, Munich, Zurich, Vienna, Brussels and Rome and “reduce the number of unprofitable short-haul flights.”
Other airlines have announced similar measures. SAS Scandinavian Airlines canceled about a thousand flights due to high fuel costs, while Air France-KLM has introduced a €100 surcharge on long-haul tickets.