The Lufthansa Group is planning to further trim its European fleet during the upcoming winter season from October 2026 to March 2027. The airline intends to ground between fifteen and twenty aircraft, a move aimed at improving the profitability of its short- and medium-haul routes. This initiative builds upon previous capacity cuts, including flight cancellations and fleet restructuring, as Lufthansa seeks to address losses on some European services.
As part of this strategy, operations within its other Group carriers, such as Lufthansa City Airlines, Eurowings, and Discover Airlines, are expected to increase to compensate for reduced mainline flights. Lufthansa believes that redistributing capacity will help reduce costs while maintaining a broad network. For example, Air Dolomiti will operate flights between Munich and Zagreb during winter, and from March 28, it will serve the Frankfurt to Ljubljana route. Additionally, plans to transfer the Munich to Belgrade service to Discover Airlines have been temporarily halted.
During the 2026/27 winter period, Lufthansa's mainline will operate approximately 2,542 flights within the former Yugoslavia, representing a 26.3% decrease from last winter and totaling 907 fewer flights. Seat capacity will also diminish by 13.8%, with roughly 382,644 seats offered. The reductions mainly stem from the suspension of the Munich to Ljubljana route and the discontinuation of flights between Frankfurt and Skopje, last operated in the previous winter season.
Overall, Lufthansa’s fleet adjustment plans reflect a focus on operational efficiency and cost management in a challenging market environment. The airline continues to adapt its European network to ensure sustainable growth and competitive strength in the region.
