Lufthansa pilots strike set
Germany’s VC pilots’ union called two days of strikes at Lufthansa on April 13–14 over pension offers, prompting major operational disruption. (reuters.com) Reports say more than 580 flights were canceled at Frankfurt and Munich—affecting over 90,000 passengers—and wider European labor actions left around 79 flights canceled across carriers including Lufthansa, easyJet and SAS. ( )
Lufthansa pilots are set to walk off the job on April 13 and 14, opening a new two-day strike at Germany’s biggest airline. (reuters.com) The Vereinigung Cockpit union said Saturday that pilots at Lufthansa, Lufthansa Cargo and Lufthansa CityLine should strike from 12:01 a.m. local time on April 13 until 11:59 p.m. on April 14. The union also called a one-day strike at Eurowings on April 13. (vcockpit.de) The dispute is over pensions. Reuters reported that Vereinigung Cockpit said Lufthansa had not presented an acceptable offer, while Lufthansa said it was working to limit disruption and keep as many flights operating as possible through other Lufthansa Group and partner airlines. (reuters.com, lufthansa.com) This strike lands two days after a separate walkout by Lufthansa cabin crew on April 10. That stoppage canceled more than 900 flights from Frankfurt and Munich and disrupted travel for more than 90,000 passengers, according to Anadolu Agency. (aa.com.tr) Lufthansa told passengers on its travel-information page that it expects major effects on flights on April 13 and 14 and advised customers to check booking status, rebook or request refunds if their flights are canceled. Eurowings said it expects to operate most of its schedule on April 13, while Eurowings Europe flights are planned to run as normal. (lufthansa.com, eurowings.com) The pension fight is part of a longer argument over how Lufthansa should provide retirement benefits for cockpit crews. In a March 17 statement, Lufthansa said it had offered a “comprehensive pension package” that would fold transitional pension benefits into the company pension plan for pilots at Lufthansa Classic and Lufthansa Cargo. (lufthansagroup.com) That offer did not settle the conflict before the union’s strike deadline. Reuters said the pilots’ action follows failed talks over pensions, and Bloomberg reported that Lufthansa was facing another labor stoppage just as it was recovering from the cabin-crew disruption. (reuters.com, bloomberg.com) For travelers, the immediate issue is timing: the strike is scheduled to start just after midnight on Sunday night and run through the end of Tuesday, April 14. Lufthansa says affected passengers should monitor their reservations directly because the airline is still revising the operating plan. (vcockpit.de, lufthansa.com)
