The German-based airline Lufthansa announced on Wednesday that 2,000 flights to and from Frankfurt and Munich airports will be cancelled until the end of August.
The announcement comes as the third wave of flight cancellations this summer, after 3,000 flights were cancelled for July and August, followed by another 770 flights leading up to this week, reported Belga News Agency.
The cancellations are a result of staff shortages, both for in-flight services and airport staff. Flights that are mainly being cancelled are those during the morning and evening rush hours, particularly when airport handlers are overloaded and luggage handling is at risk of being delayed.
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A Lufthansa spokesperson said the airline is mostly cancelling short flights within Germany or to neighbouring countries as those have more alternatives that can be offered to travellers.
Under the Lufthansa group, multiple airlines have cancelled flights this summer, including Brussels Airlines, Swiss Air Lines and Eurowings. Brussels Airlines cancelled almost 700 flights in July and August, though this was done to adjust the workload of pilots and crew, according to management.
This summer, travellers have seen a large disruption in flights as the lift of Covid-19 restrictions has led to an influx of demand on airlines. Many airlines are struggling to find employees to fill vacancies, while those who are currently working there are demanding better working conditions and a pay raise for the increased workload.
