Lufthansa's CEO, Carsten Spohr, has expressed concerns about potential further reductions in flight schedules within Germany, attributing this to soaring airport fees.

"I am deeply worried about the connectivity of our business hubs," Spohr stated in an interview with the German newspaper Bild am Sonntag. "The significant rise in state-imposed costs for air travel is resulting in a decline in services. An increasing number of airlines are opting to bypass German airports or are canceling vital routes."

Airlines like Eurowings and Ryanair have already scrapped numerous flights in Germany, citing the burden of high fees. In this context, Spohr criticized the government's plans for additional regulations.

Deteriorating Connectivity in Germany

The Lufthansa CEO noted that further unilateral national policies have been established for the upcoming years, including a blending quota for e-fuels that are not yet produced in adequate amounts.

Consequently, "the quality of connectivity in many key economic areas is diminishing by international standards," Spohr remarked.

The introduction of synthetic fuel mixed with kerosene aims to mitigate the climate-harming CO2 emissions from aircraft.

Service Reductions by Ryanair and Eurowings

On Thursday, Ryanair, the Irish low-cost carrier, announced it would cease operations at three German airports—Dortmund, Dresden, and Leipzig—starting in summer 2025, citing high taxes and fees as the reason for this decision.

Additionally, Ryanair will reduce its flights from Hamburg by 60% and from Berlin by 20%, as previously disclosed in August.

Following Ryanair's lead, Eurowings, a subsidiary of Lufthansa, revealed on Friday that it would also be cutting flights in Hamburg. Initially, over 1,000 flights are set to be eliminated by 2025, according to CEO Jens Bischof.