A new two-day strike by pilots at Lufthansa, Lufthansa Cargo and Lufthansa CityLine began at midnight, threatening disruption at Germany’s main hubs and adding to earlier industrial action this year. Vereinigung Cockpit (VC), the pilots’ union, called the action to press for higher pay at CityLine and improved company pensions for pilots at Lufthansa Cargo and the core Lufthansa airline.
Lufthansa said it had managed the first day of the walkout better than previous stoppages, keeping more than half of scheduled flights operating and expecting up to 60% of long-haul services to run. The airline said several hundred pilots had voluntarily reported for duty and that sister carriers Discover and City Airlines were used to cover some routes, with larger aircraft deployed where available.
The pilots’ union offered a different picture. VC estimated that around 70% of scheduled Lufthansa flights were grounded in Germany as of mid-afternoon, a far higher disruption than the airline’s claims. Airport operator Fraport recorded 426 cancellations out of 1,168 planned takeoffs — a 36% cancellation rate largely attributable to Lufthansa — while Munich logged 230 canceled flights out of 800. The union’s head, Andreas Pinheiro, expected roughly 300 flight cancellations per day this time, compared with about 800 cancellations during last month’s wider walkout that included cabin crew.
Lufthansa condemned the strike as an unnecessary escalation, warning of its negative impact on passengers already affected by turmoil in global aviation amid the Middle East conflict. Flights to the Middle East were excluded from the action.
The walkout follows a February strike day that the union said grounded 93% of Lufthansa planes and affected about 100,000 passengers. VC says the current action is more targeted but is part of sustained labour tensions as pilots press for better pay and pensions across group subsidiaries.
Context and wider developments
– The strike comes as Germany and Europe face broader economic and geopolitical pressures. The Ifo Institute warned that rising crude oil and natural gas prices driven by the Middle East war will dampen Germany’s economic recovery, forecasting weaker GDP growth and higher inflation risks if energy prices remain elevated.
– Chancellor Friedrich Merz travelled to Norway to discuss cooperation on space, arms and energy, visiting the Andøya Spaceport and observing NATO exercises alongside leaders including Norway’s prime minister.
– Other headlines from Germany on March 12 included the arrest in Barcelona of a German tourist accused of leaving a Mallorca hotel without paying a roughly €6,000 bill; a new report on clerical abuse in the Paderborn archbishopric naming hundreds of suspected perpetrators and victims; a Düsseldorf court sentencing a former IS member to 4.5 years in prison; fuel prices easing slightly after a recent spike; and BMW reporting a third consecutive year of profit decline in 2025, though smaller than expected.
Passengers and advice
Passengers booked on Lufthansa flights were urged to check the airline’s website and communications for the latest information, as schedules could change and additional cancellations were possible over the two-day action. Travelers were advised to confirm connections and consider alternative arrangements where feasible.