Lufthansa pilot strike

Lufthansa pilots walked out again on Thursday, April 16, and Friday, April 17, hitting departures from German airports across the airline’s core brands. (vcockpit.de) The pilots’ union Vereinigung Cockpit said the strike covers Deutsche Lufthansa, Lufthansa Cargo and Lufthansa CityLine from 12:01 a.m. local time on April 16 until 11:59 p.m. on April 17. It also called a one-day strike at Eurowings on April 16. (vcockpit.de) Lufthansa told travelers its flight schedule faced restrictions from strike calls by Vereinigung Cockpit and the cabin crew union UFO from April 13 through April 17. On its travel updates page, the airline said affected passengers could rebook for later flights or request refunds. (lufthansa.com) This is the second pilot walkout in the same week. Lufthansa had already warned of disruption for Monday, April 13, and Tuesday, April 14, after Vereinigung Cockpit called an earlier strike at short notice. (lufthansa.com) The dispute is centered on pensions. Vereinigung Cockpit said it proposed arbitration after what it described as no progress in talks with Lufthansa management. (vcockpit.de) The union said flights to some Middle East destinations would be exempt because of the regional security situation. That carveout applies even as the wider strike covers departures from German airports during the two-day window. (vcockpit.de) Lufthansa has been trying to keep some service running by shifting passengers onto other Lufthansa Group airlines and partner carriers. The airline said customers who do not receive a direct notification should check their booking status online. (lufthansa.com) For travelers, the immediate question is not whether the dispute is new but whether their specific flight is still operating on April 16 or April 17. Lufthansa’s own flight-status page is updating affected services as the strike runs. (lufthansa.com)