ASIA/EUROPE (Bloomberg): Deutsche Lufthansa AG faces another two-day pilot strike over pensions, threatening fresh travel disruption just days after a cabin crew walkout ended.
The Vereinigung Cockpit union has called on pilots to strike from 00:01am on April 13 to midnight April 14. The action covers Lufthansa’s mainline airline, cargo unit and regional carrier CityLine, while pilots at low-cost unit Eurowings are set to walk out only on Monday.
Flights from Germany to several Middle Eastern destinations are exempt due to the current conflict in the region, the union said.
Lufthansa shares dropped as much as 4.1% in early Frankfurt trading on Monday.
The walkout follows months of stalled negotiations over pension payments. The union is demanding higher company contributions, while Lufthansa says there is little room for increases.
"The VC union is striking at Lufthansa Classic and Cargo to demand a doubling of an already excellent pension plan,” said Lufthansa’s executive board member Michael Niggemann. "And this at a time of global political tensions and major risks to our business. This is irresponsible.”
VC argues the company has failed to present viable offers, saying there is no proposal for a new pension plan at Lufthansa and Lufthansa Cargo, no workable pay deal at CityLine, and that the Eurowings offer is "unacceptable”.
The strike adds to a wave of labor unrest at Europe’s largest aviation group. Earlier stoppages this year, including a one-day pilot strike in February that grounded about 800 flights and a two-day walkout in March, have already disrupted operations, along with a recent cabin crew strike over the busy Easter travel period.
The renewed tensions come at a difficult time for Lufthansa, which is grappling with high fuel costs and broader geopolitical uncertainty affecting air travel.
Lufthansa is trying to boost profitability with a plan to cut 4,000 administrative jobs by 2030 and shift more short-haul flying to lower-cost units such as City Airlines and Discover, where crew costs are as much as 40% lower than at the Lufthansa flagship airline.
-- Report by Sonja Wind; ©2026 Bloomberg L.P.
