Lufthansa Pilots Walk Out for Third Time in a Month, Grounding Most of Europe's Largest Airline
The Vereinigung Cockpit union called a 48-hour strike at Lufthansa, Lufthansa CityLine, and Eurowings over failed pension negotiations, leaving only a third of short-haul and half of long-haul flights operating. It is the third strike action at the airline in April.
Lufthansa pilots began a 48-hour strike at midnight on April 13, grounding the majority of Europe's largest airline group for the third time this month. The Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) union called the walkout after accusing management of showing "no discernible willingness for solutions" in negotiations over pensions and pay.
Only about a third of short-haul flights and half of long-haul services will operate through Tuesday night. Eurowings, struck for one day only, expects to maintain about 60 percent of its schedule.
Three Strikes in Two Weeks
The labor dispute has escalated rapidly:
- April 7-8: VC called a two-day pilot strike at Lufthansa and subsidiaries
- April 10: The UFO flight attendant union staged a separate one-day walkout at Lufthansa and Lufthansa CityLine
- April 13-14: VC calls a second two-day pilot strike, now also including Eurowings
The convergence of pilot and cabin crew unions acting in the same month -- and planning a joint demonstration at Frankfurt Airport's Lufthansa Aviation Center this Wednesday -- signals a unified labor front against the airline's management.
What the Union Wants
The disputes are distinct across subsidiaries but share a common thread: pensions.
At Lufthansa and Lufthansa Cargo, the union wants a viable occupational pension scheme offer. At Lufthansa CityLine, VC demands a new compensation collective agreement. At Eurowings, the union rejected the current pension proposal as "such a low level that it hardly deserves the name."
"A strike is always the last resort to move failed negotiations forward," VC stated in its strike notice. Union president Andreas Pinheiro said management provided neither responses nor negotiation readiness during the Easter period.
Lufthansa called the strike "disproportionate and very short-notice."
What's Operating
The strike covers Lufthansa, Lufthansa Cargo, Lufthansa CityLine, and Eurowings flights departing from German airports. One notable exemption: flights to Middle Eastern destinations -- including Israel, Lebanon, Iraq, and Yemen -- are excluded from the strike due to regional tensions.
Subsidiaries operating normally include Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, SWISS, Air Dolomiti, Discover Airlines, Edelweiss, and Lufthansa City Airlines.
Passenger Rights
Affected passengers can rebook free of charge on flights between April 11 and April 21, request a full refund, or exchange German domestic tickets for Deutsche Bahn rail passes. Because the strike is by the airline's own employees rather than an external event, it does not qualify as an "extraordinary circumstance" under EU Regulation 261/2004 -- meaning passengers are entitled to compensation of up to €600 per person for cancellations and delays exceeding three hours.