Pilots and flight attendants strike in Germany: Lufthansa cancels flights en masse

Mass flight cancellations and chaos at German airports were the result of a large-scale strike by Lufthansa pilots and flight attendants. The conflict between the airline and trade unions escalated amid financial difficulties and disputes over social guarantees, affecting tens of thousands of passengers across Europe. Find out how many flights have been cancelled

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A large-scale strike by pilots and flight attendants took place in Germany, leaving hundreds of Lufthansa planes grounded throughout the day. The protest was the latest stage in a protracted conflict between the airline and trade unions amid attempts by the company to cut costs and return the business to profitability.

According to DW, the airline said the strike led to the cancellation of nearly 800 flights. As a result, flight disruptions affected about 100,000 passengers on both domestic and international routes.

What Lufthansa passengers can expect

Lufthansa urged customers to first check the status of their flight on the official website or in the app before leaving for the airport. The company said it would try to rebook passengers on flights operated by other carriers in the group or partner airlines.

The Lufthansa Group also includes Swiss, Austrian Airlines and Brussels Airlines, which makes it possible to partially redistribute passenger traffic.

In addition, passengers were allowed to exchange their airline tickets for train tickets from the national operator Deutsche Bahn at no extra charge. Flights are not expected to resume as normal until Friday at the earliest.

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Why the unions went on strike

Around 4,800 pilots from Lufthansa and its cargo division Lufthansa Cargo are demanding an increase in pension fund contributions. Last year, the vast majority of members of the German pilots' union VC voted in favour of strike action.

VC union president Andreas Pinheiro stressed that the organisation sought to avoid escalation and was ready for negotiations. According to him, the responsibility for the strike lies with the employer.

Separately, the UFO flight attendants' union called for a strike by CityLine employees, which operates short-haul flights as part of the Lufthansa Group. The reason was plans to reduce flights and, according to the union, ‘the employer's constant refusal to negotiate a collective social plan.’ The action affected about 20,000 employees and was announced without a prior vote.

Lufthansa's position

Lufthansa's head of human resources, Michael Nigemann, called what was happening ‘a completely unnecessary escalation.’ He stated that the unions' demands are excessive and that the company's main brand does not currently have the financial capacity to cover the additional costs.

Lufthansa ended 2024 with a loss and previously launched a recovery programme called Turnaround, which aims to return the airline to sustainable profitability. However, negotiations with the unions remain difficult and have not yet yielded any tangible progress.

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