Lufthansa Strike Triggers Mass Flight Cancellations in Germany
Lufthansa Faces Major Flight Disruptions Due to Strike
Lufthansa has experienced significant disruptions as hundreds of flights were cancelled across Germany due to a coordinated 24-hour strike by pilots and cabin crew. The strike, which began at 12:01 am and ended at 11:59 pm, impacted all departures from German airports, including key hubs such as Frankfurt, Munich, and Berlin.
The walkout involved approximately 4,800 pilots represented by the Vereinigung Cockpit union and around 20,000 cabin crew members organized by the Unabhängige Flugbegleiter Organisation. These groups are conducting parallel actions over separate disputes, leading to extensive operational challenges for the airline.
Lufthansa did not provide an exact number of cancelled flights but acknowledged that the disruptions would be widespread. The airline's cargo division and regional subsidiary CityLine were also affected by the strike. While other airlines outside the Lufthansa Group, such as Ryanair, Easyjet, and Condor, continued their normal operations, several within the group, including Swiss, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, ITA Airways, Eurowings, and Discover, were not part of the strike and maintained their scheduled flights.
Lufthansa anticipates resuming normal flight operations starting from Friday. However, affected passengers should remain vigilant and check their flight status online before heading to the airport.
What Travellers Should Know
Passengers who are affected by the cancellations will be automatically rebooked if alternative options are available, with information sent via email. For domestic German routes, passengers have the option to exchange their flight tickets for free Deutsche Bahn train tickets.
Under European Union regulations, passengers may be eligible for compensation ranging from €250 to €600 for short-term cancellations or significant delays. Since company strikes are not classified as "extraordinary circumstances" under EU law, passengers are entitled to additional benefits such as free replacement transport, ticket refunds, catering, hotel accommodation if needed, and the right to cancel their booking if delays exceed five hours.
Lufthansa in Financial Difficulties
The pilots' union is demanding higher employer contributions to company pension and transitional pension schemes after multiple rounds of negotiations failed to reach an agreement. Meanwhile, the cabin crew union is seeking new collective labour agreements and has raised concerns about potential job losses at CityLine due to the group’s strategy of shifting operations to lower-cost subsidiaries. The union is calling for a collectively agreed redundancy plan.
Lufthansa's head of human resources, Michael Niggemann, described the strike as a "completely unnecessary escalation" and emphasized that further cost increases are not acceptable given the company's current economic situation.
The strike occurs amid Lufthansa's ongoing turnaround programme, which includes over 700 identified measures, with more than 350 already being implemented. The initiative aims to achieve earnings improvements of €1.5 billion in 2026 and €2.5 billion by 2028.
Despite these challenges, the Lufthansa Group's passenger airlines reported an adjusted operating loss of €244 million in the first half of 2025, marking an improvement compared to the previous year. The company has set targets to achieve an adjusted operating margin of 8%-10% by 2028-2030.
Key Points of the Strike
- The strike involved both pilots and cabin crew, with significant numbers participating from each group.
- Affected flights disrupted travel plans for many passengers, particularly those departing from major German airports.
- Passengers are advised to check their flight status and consider alternatives such as train tickets for domestic routes.
- Compensation and additional support are available for affected passengers under EU regulations.
- The strike highlights ongoing tensions between Lufthansa and its unions regarding pensions, job security, and financial stability.
- Lufthansa is working on a comprehensive turnaround plan to improve its financial performance in the coming years.
