Lufthansa cabin-crew strike on Friday: Why are they staging a walk-out? How will it affect flight operations? Explained
Deutsche Lufthansa AG is preparing for cabin crew strikes at airports across Germany on Friday; This may disrupt travel plans for travelers returning after the Easter holidays.
According to a statement made on Wednesday, labor union UFO has called on Lufthansa cabin crew to go on strike starting at 12:01 on Friday, April 10. until 10 p.m. It also called on crews of regional carrier Lufthansa CityLine to join the strike on the same day, affecting departures at several German airports, including Berlin and Hamburg.
according to BloombergUFO President Joachim Vázquez Bürger said: “We are aware that this could cause disruptions for people returning from holidays and we obviously regret this. However, this situation could have been avoided; the responsibility lies with Lufthansa, which has so far failed to offer a negotiable offer.”
Why are Lufthansa cabin crew on strike on Friday?
The strike followed months of deadlocked negotiations over a new collective bargaining agreement, with the union saying Deutsche Lufthansa AG had failed to submit an offer that could form the basis of negotiations.
The talks center around issues including working conditions for the 19,000 members working at Lufthansa and social provisions for the 800 members working at Cityline, which is facing a phase-out due to restructuring.
Lufthansa pilots staged a one-day strike in February and a two-day strike in March over disputes over retirement rights; CityLine cabin crew also joined the February action.
While the pilots demand improved retirement rights, the airline argues that cost cutting is necessary to manage its debt. AFP.
The strike at Lufthansa CityLine is linked to a dispute over a social plan for employees, including severance packages and protections, as the regional airline prepares to close.
Lufthansa cabin crew strike: How will it affect flight operations?
The strike will reportedly affect all departures from Frankfurt and Munich airports.
Deutsche Lufthansa AG said the timing of the strike was likely to hit passengers “particularly hard” and called on the union to resume negotiations.
The airline said on Thursday it had published a revised flight schedule for the strike period and added that it was taking steps to minimize disruptions by deploying larger aircraft and increasing services through other airlines within its group.
Deutsche Lufthansa AG has already had a tough start to the year, grappling with labor disputes including pilot strikes that have disrupted hundreds of flights and compounded challenges from broader geopolitical tensions affecting air travel.
When the group announced its 2025 annual results in March, it beat forecasts and reported operating profit of €1.96 billion ($2.27 billion), up nearly 20% on the previous year. This represented a recovery from 2024, when profits fell sharply due to strikes, delays in aircraft deliveries and rising costs.
Meanwhile, the airline’s shares fell as much as 4.4% in Frankfurt trading on Thursday, with the stock down nearly 7% so far this year.
(With input from institutions)
