Lufthansa flights have been severely disrupted by a two-day strike called by pilots’ union Vereinigung Cockpit (VC), as part of an ongoing dispute over pensions.
The short-notice strike, which started at 00.01 on Monday (13 April) and will run until 23.59 on Tuesday (14 April), comes just three days after cabin crew union UFO held a separate walkout on Friday (10 April).
The stoppage by VC members affects Lufthansa’s mainline services and Lufthansa CityLine flights, but not its regional subsidiary Lufthansa City Airlines.
“Lufthansa is working intensively to keep the impact on our passengers as low as possible. We are trying to have as many flights as possible operated by other airlines within the Lufthansa Group and by partner airlines,” said the airline in a statement.
Frankfurt Airport also warned of cancellations and delays to Lufthansa flights throughout Monday and Tuesday due to the VC strike.
“Passengers booked with Lufthansa are strongly advised to check the status of their flight well in advance before traveling to the airport and to make use of online rebooking options. Lufthansa will notify affected passengers proactively by email,” added the airport, which is Lufthansa’s main hub.
VC has also called on its pilots working at another Lufthansa subsidiary, Eurowings, to hold a 24-hour strike on Monday (13 April), but the airline said it expected to operate the “majority” of flights.
“Only flights operated by Eurowings Germany are affected by the current strike call; flights operated by the European sister company, Eurowings Europe, are not impacted,” said Eurowings in a statement. “Eurowings regrets the inconvenience caused to passengers as a result of the VC strike and is making every effort to minimise disruption for travellers.
Lufthansa experienced a difficult start to 2026, with labour disputes and pilot strikes in February and March causing widespread flight disruptions. However, by late March, the airline agreed a pay deal with ground workers union Verdi.
The company has also just announced a collective labour agreement between Lufthansa City Airlines and Verdi, which covers cockpit and cabin crew working for the regional subsidiary.