Germany Faces Major Flight Disruptions as Lufthansa Pilots Launch Strike

(MENAFN) Air travel across Germany faced significant disruption on Monday after pilots at Lufthansa began a 48-hour strike shortly after midnight, forcing the cancellation of numerous flights at major airports.

The industrial action was organized by the German pilots’ union Vereinigung Cockpit (VC), which has instructed members at Lufthansa and several of its subsidiaries to stop work through Tuesday. The dispute centers on disagreements over pension arrangements, pay levels, working conditions, and specific issues affecting the regional carrier Cityline.

The walkout involves pilots from the main Lufthansa operation, Lufthansa Cargo, and Cityline, and is scheduled to continue until shortly before midnight on Tuesday.

At Eurowings, the impact is more limited, with only departures from German airports being affected on Monday.

Major hubs including Frankfurt and Munich reported multiple cancellations as a result of the strike, with airport authorities indicating widespread scheduling disruptions. The pilots’ union expects that the action could lead to the cancellation of hundreds of flights each day during the 48-hour period.

Ahead of the strike, Eurowings had stated it expected to maintain partial operations, saying it would be able to run “a large portion” of its flight schedule. The airline also noted that, alongside Eurowings Europe, it could rely on assistance from partner carriers to help manage operations during the disruption.

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