Lufthansa strike risks big cancellations
A Lufthansa pilot strike is scheduled for Monday–Tuesday April 13–14, with reports warning most flights could be cancelled during those two days. (loyaltylobby.com) Earlier stoppages in April already cancelled 580+ flights and disrupted more than 90,000 passengers across Frankfurt, Munich and regional airports. (nomadlawyer.org)
Lufthansa passengers face major disruption on Monday, April 13, and Tuesday, April 14, after the pilots’ union called a two-day strike across key parts of the group. (lufthansa.com) Lufthansa said the Vereinigung Cockpit union announced the walkout “at short notice” and that the airline is trying to keep as many flights as possible operating with other Lufthansa Group carriers and partner airlines. Its flight-status page warns of schedule restrictions on both April 13 and April 14, 2026. (lufthansa.com 1) (lufthansa.com 2) Vereinigung Cockpit said the strike starts at 12:01 a.m. local time on April 13 and ends at 11:59 p.m. local time on April 14 for Deutsche Lufthansa, Lufthansa Cargo and Lufthansa CityLine. For Eurowings, the union said it is calling a strike on flights departing German airports on April 13 only. (vcockpit.de) The union said flights by Lufthansa and Lufthansa CityLine from Germany to several Middle East destinations are exempt because of the current regional security situation. It listed Azerbaijan, Egypt, Bahrain, Iraq, Israel, Yemen, Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. (vcockpit.de) This is the latest in a series of pilot labor actions at Lufthansa this year. Vereinigung Cockpit said a two-day strike on March 12 and March 13 caused about 80 percent of planned flights to be canceled on the first day, with more than 600 cancellations out of 800 scheduled flights. (vcockpit.de) The dispute is not one fight across the whole group. Vereinigung Cockpit said the Lufthansa and Lufthansa Cargo actions center on company pension negotiations, while the Lufthansa CityLine dispute is over pay talks for Germany-based cockpit crew. (vcockpit.de) Lufthansa is telling affected travelers to check their booking status, rebook for a later date if needed, or request a refund. The airline said canceled flights are generally rebooked free of charge and that updates may be sent by mobile phone. (lufthansa.com 1) (lufthansa.com 2) Passengers whose flights are canceled or significantly delayed may also have rights under European Union Regulation 261 of 2004, Lufthansa says, and United States Department of Transportation refund rules can apply to tickets issued in the United States. (lufthansa.com) By Sunday, Lufthansa was still advising customers to rely on its live booking and flight-status tools, not normal schedules. The practical question for travelers is no longer whether there is a strike, but whether their specific flight survives it. (lufthansa.com)
