A Lufthansa strike by pilots and flight attendants has grounded hundreds of flights, disrupting travel for tens of thousands of passengers. The all-day walkout, which unions describe as a last resort, is labelled “completely unnecessary” by the airline.
Around 460 flights are expected to be cancelled, affecting nearly 70,000 passengers, according to German airport association ADV. Though some flights remain operational from hubs like Frankfurt and Berlin, disruption is widespread. Lufthansa has urged passengers to check flight status before travelling, promising rebooking on group airlines—including Swiss, Austrian, and Brussels Airlines—or rail vouchers with Deutsche Bahn at no extra cost. Operations are not expected to normalise until Friday.
The pilots’ union VC is pushing for higher employer contributions to retirement benefits, following a strike mandate from last year. VC president Andreas Pinheiro placed responsibility on management, stating the union had sought dialogue. Separately, the UFO union, representing CityLine flight attendants, is striking over planned operational shutdowns and stalled negotiations on a collective social plan. This action involves some 20,000 staff and proceeded without a prior ballot.
Intermittent talks between the two unions and Lufthansa have so far failed to yield a resolution
