Cabin crew at German flag carrier Lufthansa began a one-day strike at midnight (2200 GMT Thursday), with around 20,000 flight attendants called out until 10 p.m. on Friday. The UFO trade union ordered the action at Lufthansa and its CityLine regional unit after wage talks stalled.
Lufthansa canceled hundreds of flights in advance to limit disruption. Cancellations are concentrated at the airline’s hubs in Frankfurt and Munich and are also expected at Leipzig/Halle, Berlin and Stuttgart. At Frankfurt, nearly 75% of roughly 350 scheduled Lufthansa departures were called off.
Although the stoppage is aimed at departures within Germany, several return flights carrying Easter holiday travelers are likely to be canceled as well. The carrier urged passengers to check flight status before traveling to the airport.
This is Lufthansa’s third major crew disruption this year, following two rounds of pilot strikes. UFO has also negotiated alongside pilots’ union Vereinigung Cockpit in recent months to amplify industrial action; pilots staged joint and separate strikes in February and a further two-day walkout in mid-March.
The airline said it had planned cancellations in advance to curb wider knock-on effects but warned that delays and further changes were possible while negotiations continue. Images from airports showed rows of canceled flights displayed on departure boards as travelers rearranged plans.