Lufthansa Pilots and Cabin Crew Strike Paralyzes Flight Operations in Germany

by Lee Seungjin

Published 14 Apr.2026 17:13(KST)

Crew members of the German airline Lufthansa are set to go on strike from April 15 to 16, 2026 (local time), leading to the prospect of major flight disruptions.

According to the daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) on April 14, the Lufthansa cabin crew union (UFO) announced a two-day strike and stated that on the first day, April 15, they will hold a protest at Frankfurt Airport to coincide with the airline’s 100th anniversary ceremony, which will be attended by Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

Lufthansa passenger aircraft parked at Frankfurt Airport. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

Joachim Vasquez-Buerger, chairman of the UFO, said, "Right at the spot where the management celebrates the centenary with the federal government, we will show how the company actually operates and who bears the sacrifice."

The Lufthansa pilots’ union (VC) began its own strike on April 13. Due to the pilots’ strike, approximately 1,100 flights were canceled over two days at Frankfurt Airport alone.

The pilots’ union is demanding that the company triple its contributions to the retirement pension fund. For the cabin crew, the issues at stake include reducing working hours and restructuring staff at the affiliate CityLine.

This is the third pilots’ strike and the second cabin crew strike so far this year. However, the company remains firm, arguing that pilot salaries and overall working conditions are already the best in the industry, raising concerns that the conflict between labor and management may be prolonged.

Carsten Spohr, CEO of Lufthansa, told FAZ, "It is better to have a few days of reduced operations due to the strike than for the core brand (Lufthansa) to be permanently weakened," making it clear that he would not accept the union’s demands.