Lufthansa Pilot Strike Continues

(MENAFN) A pilot strike at Lufthansa extended into Friday, prolonging widespread flight cancellations at Germany’s largest airline and escalating an ongoing wage conflict. According to the pilots’ union, there has been little indication of meaningful advancement in negotiations, suggesting the dispute remains unresolved.

At Frankfurt Airport, Lufthansa’s primary hub, approximately 650 out of more than 1,300 scheduled departures and arrivals were canceled, as reported by airport operator Fraport. Meanwhile, at Munich Airport, the airline’s second-largest hub, over 400 of 915 planned flights were also called off, reflecting the extensive operational disruption.

The industrial action affected Lufthansa’s core airline services, its cargo division, and regional branch CityLine, causing travel chaos for tens of thousands of passengers. These cancellations added to earlier disruptions experienced earlier in the week at both Frankfurt and Munich. Pilots participated in the strike over four separate days, while cabin crew joined the walkouts on two occasions.

Lufthansa announced on Thursday that it would introduce cost-reduction strategies in response to the financial strain caused by repeated labor unrest and increasing aviation fuel expenses. As an immediate measure, the airline stated it would withdraw CityLine’s 27 Canadair regional aircraft from its flight schedule, citing their advanced age and comparatively high operating costs.

The pilots’ association, Vereinigung Cockpit (VC), strongly condemned the sudden suspension of CityLine operations. It also expressed concern regarding the potential impact on employees and warned about possible consequences for Germany’s standing as a major aviation hub.

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