Pilots and cabin crews of Deutsche Lufthansa AG’s main airline plan a strike on Thursday, 12 February, which could disrupt hundreds of flights and challenge the group’s profit recovery efforts. The Vereinigung Cockpit union announced the strike after pension funding negotiations failed.
Strike details and impact
The strike will start at 00:01 and continue until 23:59, affecting all departures from German airports operated by Lufthansa and its cargo subsidiary. Cabin crew union UFO called a parallel one-day warning strike at Frankfurt and Munich airports, citing stalled negotiations for a new collective agreement. The strike also involves Lufthansa CityLine staff due to planned shutdowns and refusal to negotiate a social plan.
Lufthansa stock reacts
Shares fell as much as 4.5% at the Frankfurt open, after rising 44% over the past 12 months. Lufthansa criticised the short notice, saying it disproportionately affects passengers, while calling for resumed negotiations.
Rising crew costs and company strategy
The main airline faces significantly higher crew costs compared with newer units like City Airlines and Discover, where costs are up to 40% lower. Lufthansa plans to shift more of its short-haul fleet to low-cost subsidiaries.
CEO Carsten Spohr’s strategy includes consolidating hub airlines and cutting 4,000 administrative roles to improve profit margins.
Historical context
If carried out, the strike will be the first pilots’ strike since 2022. Previous strikes in 2014 and 2016 disrupted thousands of flights and cost the company hundreds of millions of euros. Lufthansa also struggles with aircraft delivery delays, high taxes and fees, and challenges introducing the premium Allegris cabin.
Pension dispute
Vereinigung Cockpit demands higher contributions from Lufthansa, while the airline says it cannot increase payments. Retired pilots with many years of service receive on average €8,400 per month from public and company pensions, including around €5,400 from the company plan.
Expansion of low-cost units
Lufthansa recently announced that its low-cost Lufthansa City Airline opened a base in Frankfurt and is hiring pilots and cabin staff. The base will operate seven Airbus A320neo aircraft by September.
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