Lufthansa pilot strike

Lufthansa pilots are set to walk out on Monday, April 13, and Tuesday, April 14, threatening major disruption across Germany’s biggest air hubs. (reuters.com) The pilots’ union, Vereinigung Cockpit, called the strike on April 11 after saying Lufthansa had not made an acceptable offer in a dispute over company pension terms. The walkout covers Lufthansa, Lufthansa Cargo and Lufthansa CityLine on both days, with Eurowings pilots also called out on April 13. (reuters.com) (vcockpit.de) Lufthansa said the strike was announced at short notice and that it was trying to shift as many flights as possible to other Lufthansa Group carriers and partner airlines. The airline told passengers to check their booking status, rebook for later travel or request refunds if their flights are affected. (lufthansa.com) The pressure point is Frankfurt and Munich, Lufthansa’s two main hubs, where earlier April stoppages already disrupted the Easter return-travel period. Lufthansa’s website says flight schedules are being restricted because of the union’s strike call for April 13 and 14. (lufthansa.com) (msn.com) This is the latest turn in a wider labor fight at Lufthansa, which has now faced repeated stoppages by different employee groups in April. Reuters reported that a cabin crew strike on April 10 was the airline’s third work stoppage in two months. (msn.com) Vereinigung Cockpit has framed the dispute around occupational pensions, not just current pay. In a March 20 statement, the union said it accepted Lufthansa Group’s offer to hold talks on pensions but insisted that substantive negotiations had to address the pilots’ demands. (vcockpit.de) The union has also carved out exceptions for some flights to the Middle East from Germany, citing the regional security situation. A Vereinigung Cockpit statement said Lufthansa and Lufthansa CityLine flights from Germany to countries including Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are excluded from the strike. (vcockpit.de) United Airlines has already warned customers that Lufthansa-operated flights may be affected from April 12 through April 15, widening the disruption window for connecting passengers beyond the two official strike days. Lufthansa said affected travelers would be informed and that updates would continue as the operating plan changes. (thetravel.com) (lufthansa.com) For travelers, the immediate issue is not just whether a flight is canceled on April 13 or 14, but whether aircraft and crews are out of position before and after the stoppage. Lufthansa’s message on April 12 was that it was still working to limit the damage, but the airline had already moved to a reduced schedule. (lufthansa.com) (reuters.com)