Lufthansa strike: Hundreds of flights cancelled throughout Germany and passengers stranded | EUROtoday

Tens of 1000’s of passengers throughout Germany endured important journey disruption on Friday as cabin crew at Lufthansa and its regional unit, Lufthansa CityLine, staged a day-long strike.

The industrial motion, organised by the UFO union, ran from midnight till 10pm (8pm GMT).

Frankfurt Airport operator Fraport reported roughly 580 flight cancellations by Friday morning, impacting round 72,000 passengers. These figures, protecting all airways working on the hub, not solely Lufthansa, have been anticipated to evolve all through the day.

The strike additionally severely affected Munich, one other key Lufthansa hub, whereas CityLine cabin crew walked out at 9 airports nationwide.

Meanwhile Lufthansa’s latest subsidiary, Lufthansa City Airlines, efficiently signed its inaugural labour settlement. Lufthansa model chief Jens Ritter criticised the widespread industrial motion as “completely disproportionate,” although UFO negotiators maintained that “escalation was inevitable given stalled talks.”

The walkout stands in sharp distinction to developments at Lufthansa City Airlines, the group’s latest and smallest subsidiary, the place the rival union Verdi secured the service’s first collective wage settlement protecting 500 cockpit and cabin workers.

The deal, reached after marathon talks final week, will raise fundamental salaries by between 20 per cent and 35 per cent in three levels by way of March 2029, and contains further days off, extra trip, improved roster planning and expanded pension help, Verdi mentioned.

The diverging fortunes of the 2 subsidiaries mirror a broader restructuring underway contained in the Lufthansa Group. Lufthansa operates long-haul and main European routes by way of its mainline airline, whereas short-haul feeder flights have traditionally been dealt with by CityLine.

The group has mentioned it plans to shut CityLine by year-end, with its feeder operations transitioning to City Airlines, which was based in 2022 as a cost-efficient various amid rising aggressive pressures in Europe’s aviation trade.

The closure plan has sparked anger amongst CityLine’s workers, who concern job losses and unsure futures.