Lufthansa is bracing for another round of disruptions as pilots represented by the Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) union are set to strike on April 15 and 16, affecting the airline’s core operations as well as its regional subsidiary CityLine.
The 48-hour walkout follows a strike earlier this week that led to hundreds of flight cancellations and disrupted travel for tens of thousands of passengers, with Frankfurt and Munich bearing the brunt of the impact.
During the previous strike period, Frankfurt Airport reported around 570 canceled takeoffs and landings, most involving Lufthansa flights, while Munich saw roughly 720 cancellations over two days. The airline said it had to cancel about two-thirds of its short- and medium-haul services and roughly half of long-haul flights.
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The dispute centers on pilot compensation and retirement benefits, with VC demanding that Lufthansa significantly increase its contributions to a company pension scheme. The airline has rejected the proposal, describing it as excessive and not financially viable.
Union representatives argue that negotiations have stalled, accusing management of failing to present meaningful proposals. VC president Andreas Pinheiro said the union had avoided strike action during the Easter holiday period but had seen no progress in talks.
Lufthansa, in turn, said it is working to reduce the impact by reallocating capacity within its group and using partner airlines where possible. Passengers affected by cancellations have also been offered the option to switch to rail services within Germany.
Flights to several destinations in the Middle East are expected to be exempt from the strike, with the union citing operational sensitivities linked to ongoing geopolitical tensions in the region.
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The situation could extend beyond the pilots’ action. The UFO cabin crew union has announced plans for a separate two-day strike immediately afterward, on April 17 and 18, raising the prospect of nearly a full week of operational disruption at Germany’s largest airline.
