Lufthansa is presently observing its centenary, and in keeping with tradition, pilots at the airline are poised to strike, leading to significant disruptions. This marks the second strike by pilots in roughly a month, following a flight attendant strike. Ouch.
In this post:
Lufthansa pilots announce two-day industrial action
Vereinigung Cockpit (VC), the union for Lufthansa pilots, has declared that pilots (from both the passenger and cargo sectors) will launch a strike starting at 12:01AM on Monday, April 13, 2026, and concluding at 11:59PM on Tuesday, April 14, 2026. This specifically concerns pilots at Lufthansa, Lufthansa CityLine, and Lufthansa Cargo. Additionally, Eurowings pilots will strike for one day only, from 12:01AM to 11:59PM on April 13, 2026.
We previously experienced a two-day strike by pilots on March 12-13, 2026, followed by a flight attendant strike on April 10. Thus, witnessing five days of strikes in just over a month is quite challenging.
These strikes will affect flights originating from Germany, with the sole exception of flights to and from the Middle East due to the critical nature of these operations. Therefore, all scheduled flights to Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Israel, Yemen, Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, will proceed as scheduled.
Here’s what VC President Andreas Pinheiro commented regarding the recent strike:
“The Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) feels necessary to take this action after the employers exhibited no significant willingness to resolve multiple wage disputes. In spite of a clear decision to avoid strike action during the Easter holidays, no serious proposals were presented. During this period, there was neither a reply nor any visible willingness to discuss from the employers.”
“The employers always hold the chance to prevent the strike by putting forward negotiable proposals. A strike is always the last resort to instigate progress in stalled negotiations. We would have preferred to bypass it – especially considering the disruption for our passengers and our colleagues on the ground. Nevertheless, the fault for this rests with the employers.”
Lufthansa has released a travel advisory for flights on Monday and Tuesday, allowing passengers to easily rebook. The airline is recommending travelers to check the flight status page to ascertain whether their flight will operate, and at this time, most cancellations have been processed.
Lufthansa pilots will strike for two days
What are Lufthansa’s pilots unions seeking?
So, what’s prompting the strike from Lufthansa pilots? It boils down to two primary issues — first, the company pension scheme for pilots at Lufthansa and Lufthansa Cargo, and second, unsuccessful collective bargaining negotiations regarding pay at Lufthansa CityLine.
Regarding pensions for Lufthansa and Lufthansa Cargo, until 2017, pilots enjoyed a traditional company pension with guaranteed payouts. At the company’s request, this was substituted with a capital market-financed plan that significantly falls short of the prior pension level.
Concerning pay for Lufthansa CityLine pilots, since August 2025, the collective bargaining commission has been in discussions for a new wage contract, but asserts that a feasible offer has yet to surface. While the company proposed an offer on February 25, 2026, the union believes this offer fails to meet its demands, and is unacceptable given the requirement of a complete no-strike agreement. Furthermore, since then, no additional advancements have been realized.
This strike also affects Lufthansa CityLine flights
Bottom line
Lufthansa pilots will undertake a two-day strike on Monday and Tuesday (with Eurowings pilots striking only on Monday). This is anticipated to disrupt a significant number of flights departing Germany, with the exception of “essential” Middle East flights (though not many are operating currently).
For mainline pilots, this strike revolves around delays in negotiations concerning pensions. Meanwhile, for CityLine pilots, the issue centers on a new contract. As you’d expect, the union claims management is unprepared to propose an acceptable offer, although I suspect management would tell a different story. This marks the third instance of strikes at Lufthansa within a month, which is quite unfortunate.
Any OMAAT readers planning to fly Lufthansa in the upcoming days?