Lufthansa Pilots Strike Dates

Lufthansa pilots are set to walk out on Monday, April 13, and Tuesday, April 14, after pension talks broke down and the union called a 48-hour strike. (reuters.com, dw.com) The Vereinigung Cockpit union said pilots at Lufthansa, Lufthansa Cargo and Lufthansa CityLine should stop work from 12:01 a.m. on April 13 until 11:59 p.m. on April 14. It separately called a one-day strike at Eurowings for departures from German airports on April 13. (vcockpit.de, dw.com) The union said the dispute centers on company pension plans at Lufthansa and Lufthansa Cargo, and on pay issues at Lufthansa CityLine. Vereinigung Cockpit President Andreas Pinheiro said the company had shown “no discernible willingness” to reach a deal after several rounds of talks. (vcockpit.de, reuters.com) The pension fight goes back to a 2017 change from a traditional company pension with guaranteed payouts to a market-based model. The union says the newer system falls short of the earlier benefit level, especially for younger pilots. (vcockpit.de, dw.com) The timing adds pressure because Lufthansa has already been hit by repeated labor stoppages in 2026. In a strike on February 12, the airline said close to 800 flights were canceled and about 100,000 passengers were affected. (dw.com, dw.com) Another two-day pilots’ strike followed on March 12 and 13, and Lufthansa published a reduced flight schedule saying it could still operate more than half of its original program on the first day and more than 60% on the second. The union later said more than 75% of struck short-haul flights and more than 70% of struck long-haul flights had been canceled by late morning. (lufthansa.com, vcockpit.de) Lufthansa has told passengers to check its current travel information and flight status pages, where the airline posts strike-related schedule changes and rebooking options. The carrier says canceled passengers are usually rebooked free of charge and notified through the contact details in their booking. (lufthansa.com, lufthansa.com) The union said it did not strike over the Easter holidays and exempted some Middle East routes from Germany because of the regional security situation. Lufthansa said it was working to limit disruption by using other Lufthansa Group airlines and partner carriers where possible. (vcockpit.de, business-travel.de) Unless the two sides reach a last-minute deal, the latest walkout is set to hit Lufthansa’s German network at the start of the week and extend a labor dispute that has been running for months. (reuters.com, dw.com)