Pilots at Lufthansa, a major European airline, have announced a significant extension to their ongoing strike action, adding two more days of industrial action. This escalation follows earlier walkouts earlier this week that impacted approximately 50,000 passengers on Monday and Tuesday, April 13 and 14.
Core Dispute Over Pension Contributions
The industrial action stems from a fundamental disagreement between the pilots' union, Vereinigung Cockpit (VC), and Lufthansa management regarding the company's pension scheme for pilots. The union is demanding that the airline more than double its contributions to the scheme, a point of contention that has led to a stalemate in negotiations.
Union Leader Decries 'Deadlocked' Situation
Andreas Pinheiro, president of the VC union, stated on Tuesday that the situation remains unchanged with no movement from the employers. He elaborated that neither Lufthansa nor Lufthansa Cargo have presented an offer concerning company pension schemes. Furthermore, Lufthansa CityLine has not provided a viable proposal for a new collective bargaining agreement on remuneration, and Eurowings has made no offer regarding pension schemes. Pinheiro described the overall negotiation climate as 'deadlocked'.
Widespread Flight Disruptions
The strike action has severely impacted operations, particularly flights departing from German airports. On Tuesday alone, around 900 flights were cancelled at major hubs like Frankfurt and Munich. The extended strike is now scheduled for Thursday and Friday, April 16 and 17, threatening further widespread cancellations and passenger inconvenience.
In a complicating development, the cabin crew union UFO has also announced a separate walkout scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday, adding another layer of disruption to Lufthansa's operations.
Airline's Response and Passenger Guidance
Lufthansa has issued statements reassuring travellers that it is working intensively to minimise the impact on passengers. The airline confirmed it is attempting to have as many flights as possible operated by other airlines within the Lufthansa Group and by partner airlines. However, it acknowledged that flight cancellations are unavoidable despite these efforts.
The airline has advised that cancellations will be loaded into booking systems by Tuesday morning, April 14, 2026 (CET) at the latest. It specifically noted that flights operated by Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Eurowings, SWISS, Air Dolomiti, Discover Airlines, Edelweiss, and Lufthansa City Airlines will not be affected by the strike. Passengers are strongly urged to check the status of their flight before beginning their journey.
Statements from Lufthansa
In a comment, Lufthansa confirmed receipt of the latest strike notice from the Vereinigung Cockpit union for April 16 and 17. The airline expressed its openness to comprehensive mediation on all collective bargaining issues to achieve a lasting resolution. On its website, Lufthansa stated: 'We sincerely regret the disruption caused by the strike announced at short notice by the unions Vereinigung Cockpit and UFO and thank you for your understanding.'
Notably, flights to destinations in the Middle East region are reported to be continuing regardless of the strikes, due to the specific situation in that area.
