Lufthansa and Lufthansa Cargo flights are expected to face widespread disruption on Thursday, 12 February, as pilots and cabin crew plan a coordinated 24-hour strike across Germany. The industrial action is set to affect all major airports, including Frankfurt, Munich, Hamburg, Berlin, and others. Passengers are advised to monitor flight statuses closely due to potential cancellations and rebooking’s.
The strike has been called by Vereinigung Cockpit (VC), representing Lufthansa pilots, and UFO, representing cabin crew at Lufthansa and Lufthansa CityLine. According to VC, pilots are demanding improvements to company pension plans following years of stalled negotiations. Until 2017, pilots had a traditional company pension with guaranteed payouts, which was replaced by a market-based model that VC says provides significantly lower retirement benefits. The union describes pension security as central to pilots’ long-term financial stability.
VC President Andreas Pinheiro said the union had hoped to avoid escalation but felt left with no alternative after months of unsuccessful talks. Seven rounds of negotiations and a final mediation proposal reportedly failed to produce a satisfactory response from Lufthansa. Pilots had approved strike action in a ballot last September. “Strikes are never an end in themselves,” Pinheiro said, “but the employer has left us no alternative.”
UFO has called on cabin crew at Lufthansa CityLine to join the strike, citing concerns over the planned closure of CityLine operations. According to the union, staff and flights are being transferred to a new subsidiary without a negotiated social plan. UFO also described CityLine as a “victim of tariff escape” and said the strike is necessary to protect staff from potential job insecurity. The union reports that 98.3% of its CityLine members voted in favour of strike action.
The unions have criticized Lufthansa management for its approach to negotiations. According to UFO, the company has repeatedly refused to compromise and has treated employees “like children,” explaining matters in a patronizing way while blocking meaningful discussions. This, the union says, contributed to the escalation and reinforced the need for strike action.
The strike is planned to last the full day, from 00:01 to 23:59 local time, and affects not only commercial passenger flights but also deadhead flights, ground transport, standby duties, and certain contractual ground operations performed by cabin crew. Some additional roles, such as trainers or team leaders, are reportedly excluded from strike duties for specific tasks. According to UFO, this demonstrates a structured and deliberate approach rather than a spontaneous walkout.
The labour action comes amid financial and operational pressures at Lufthansa. The airline reported that its adjusted operating profit fell sharply in 2024 compared with the previous year, and the airline has announced plans to cut around 4,000 jobs in Germany, representing roughly 4 % of its workforce. Rising costs, aircraft delivery delays, and repeated labour unrest have reportedly contributed to the tensions.
Passengers travelling on Thursday are advised to expect significant disruption. Both unions emphasized that the strike is intended to address pension security, job protection, fair treatment of staff and not to punish travellers. Officials urge passengers to check their flight status, allow extra time for airport procedures, and follow updates from the airline.
According to the unions, the outcome of the strike now depends on Lufthansa presenting concrete proposals to address these long-standing demands. Until then, travellers should prepare for uncertainty and possible widespread operational impact throughout the day.
