Pilots and flight attendants at Lufthansa will go on a full-day strike on Thursday, February 12. The warning strike, called by the unions Vereinigung Cockpit and Ufo, affects departures from German airports and could lead to significant disruptions. Travelers have rights to rebooking, refunds, and compensation.
The strike at Lufthansa takes place on February 12 from 00:01 to 23:59 and affects all German airports from which the airline departs. In particular, departures of Lufthansa CityLine from locations such as Frankfurt, Munich, Hamburg, Bremen, Stuttgart, Cologne, Düsseldorf, Berlin, and Hannover will be struck. The Vereinigung Cockpit demands higher employer contributions to occupational pension schemes, as a capital market-financed model since 2017 falls short of the previous pension level. “We would have very much liked to avoid an escalation,” said VC President Andreas Pinheiro. “The fact that it is now coming to this strike lies with the employer's responsibility.”
The cabin union Ufo is protesting the planned closure of Lufthansa CityLine's flight operations, which threatens around 800 jobs, and is demanding negotiations on tariff agreements. Ufo critic Harry Jaeger accuses the board of pushing through tariff deteriorations under the guise of productivity and flexibility, increasing workloads. Lufthansa criticizes the short-notice announcement and emphasizes that the strikes disproportionately affect passengers. It calls on the unions to resume negotiations.
The background is the group's strategy with new subsidiaries like City Airlines, offering cheaper conditions. The 2024-founded City Airlines now also serves Frankfurt and plans to expand its fleet to seven Airbus A320. Travelers receive information via email or app and can rebook, get refunds, or use the train. In case of cancellations or delays over three hours, compensation of 250 to 600 euros is due under EU law, as internal strikes are not an extraordinary circumstance. Expert Feyza Türkön from Flightright confirms this claim.