Hundreds of Flights Cancelled Across Germany as Pilots Begin Strike
Germany's pilots union Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) called the 48-hour work stoppage across Lufthansa and several of its subsidiaries through Tuesday, citing unresolved disputes over the company pension plan, working conditions, and compensation at regional subsidiary Cityline.
The strike encompasses pilots at core brand Deutsche Lufthansa, Lufthansa Cargo, and Cityline, running from shortly after midnight Monday until just before midnight Tuesday. At holiday carrier Eurowings, only departures from German airports are affected on Monday.
Significant disruptions were reported at Frankfurt and Munich — Germany's two largest aviation hubs — with VC projecting hundreds of cancellations daily for the duration of the strike. Eurowings sought to limit the damage, saying Sunday it expected to operate "a large portion" of its flight schedule, with Eurowings Europe and several partner airlines stepping in to absorb capacity.
The walkout is the latest in a string of labor disruptions that have battered Lufthansa this year. Earlier stoppages by cabin crew had already forced widespread cancellations at Germany's flagship carrier.
Despite the disruption, the union carved out exemptions for routes deemed sensitive on geopolitical or humanitarian grounds. Flights to Egypt, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Iraq, Israel, Yemen, Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE will continue unaffected.
Union President Andreas Pinheiro defended the action, accusing Lufthansa of stalling at the negotiating table. "It doesn't help if the other side only signals a willingness to talk but doesn't want to discuss substantial improvements to the company pension scheme," said Pinheiro.
The union's collective bargaining spokesperson Arne Karstens confirmed that seven rounds of negotiations and mediation had collapsed without resolution, warning that talks would not restart until Lufthansa tables a "negotiable offer."
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
