Lufthansa two‑day strike
Germany’s pilots’ union called a two‑day strike for Monday–Tuesday, April 13–14, targeting operations at the carrier and prompting wide concern about schedules. (euronews.com) The union and carriers warned the action could threaten as much as 80% of flights out of Frankfurt and Munich. (travelandtourworld.com)
Lufthansa pilots began a 48-hour strike on Monday, April 13, cutting deeply into the airline’s schedule at Frankfurt and Munich. (vcockpit.de) The walkout covers Vereinigung Cockpit members at Lufthansa, Lufthansa Cargo and Lufthansa CityLine from 12:01 a.m. local time on April 13 until 11:59 p.m. on April 14. Eurowings pilots were called out only for Monday departures from German airports. (vcockpit.de) Lufthansa said the affected airlines would operate about one-third of their short-haul schedule on both days and about 50 percent of long-haul flights. Eurowings said it expected to operate 60 percent of its schedule on Monday, and only Eurowings Germany is covered by the strike call. (lufthansaexperts.com) By Monday morning, Frankfurt Airport said Lufthansa flights would face delays and cancellations all day on April 13 and 14, and Deutsche Welle reported that most Lufthansa departures within Europe from Frankfurt were already listed as canceled. Munich Airport’s departures search was showing only flights still scheduled, alongside a warning of severe disruption for Lufthansa and Eurowings passengers. (dw.com) The dispute is centered on pensions and pay. Vereinigung Cockpit President Andreas Pinheiro said the union called the strike after Lufthansa management showed “no discernible willingness” to settle several labor conflicts, including occupational pension terms and a new pay agreement at CityLine. (vcockpit.de) Lufthansa rejected the union’s pension demands and said it was working to limit disruption by shifting flights to other Lufthansa Group airlines and partner carriers. The airline told passengers to check booking status, rebook once without a fee, or request a refund if their flight was canceled. (marketwatch.com, lufthansa.com) This is the fourth strike to hit Lufthansa and some subsidiaries in 2026, according to Deutsche Welle, and it comes days after a cabin crew walkout disrupted operations. The union said it had deliberately avoided strike action over the Easter holidays before announcing this stoppage on April 11. (dw.com, vcockpit.de) Not every Lufthansa Group flight is affected. Lufthansa said Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Swiss, Air Dolomiti, Discover Airlines, Edelweiss and Lufthansa City Airlines are not part of the strike, and the union exempted flights from Germany to 13 Middle East destinations because of the regional security situation. (lufthansaexperts.com, vcockpit.de) For travelers, the practical message on Monday was simple: check the flight status before leaving for the airport. Lufthansa also said passengers on canceled domestic German flights can swap their ticket for a Deutsche Bahn rail ticket free of charge. (lufthansaexperts.com)
