If you are planning to fly with Lufthansa this Friday, be prepared for disruption. Cabin crew are set to walk off the job across several key German airports, increasing the risk of short‑notice cancellations and last‑minute rebookings.
Lufthansa cabin crew have announced a one‑day strike on Friday, April 10th, following months of unsuccessful labour negotiations.
The walkout will run from midnight until 10pm and is expected to affect all Lufthansa departures from Frankfurt and Munich, the airline’s two main hubs.
The airline says it is working to limit the impact, but many people travelling to, from or within Germany are likely to be affected.
The strike also includes staff from Lufthansa’s regional subsidiary CityLine, according to the cabin crew union UFO.
As a result, CityLine departures are expected to be disrupted at nine German airports: Frankfurt, Munich, Hamburg, Bremen, Stuttgart, Cologne, Düsseldorf, Berlin and Hanover.
The union said that the action had been timed to avoid the main Easter holiday period, but acknowledged that disruptions will affect some holiday travellers who may be returning home this weekend.
How passengers will be affected
Lufthansa has announced that passengers whose flights are cancelled or changed would be notified by email on Thursday morning, provided their contact details are up to date.
Travellers are also strongly advised to check their flight status on Lufthansa's website before heading to the airport.
The airline is offering flexible travel options. Passengers scheduled to fly with Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, SWISS, Brussels Airlines or Air Dolomiti on April 10th can request a refund up to and including the day of travel.
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Alternatively, travellers can rebook free of charge on another Lufthansa Group flight up until April 17th, according to the airline’s website.
Where no suitable alternative flights are available, tickets may also be exchanged for Deutsche Bahn rail travel under Lufthansa’s “Good for Train” scheme.
Lufthansa says it expects to largely return to regular flight schedules from Saturday onwards. More information from the airline about the strike is available here.
Why are cabin crew striking?
The dispute centres on negotiations over a new collective agreement for cabin crew, which the union says have been deadlocked for months.
UFO chairman Joachim Vázquez Bürger has accused Lufthansa of failing to present a “negotiable offer”, telling the German Press Agency that the strike “could have been avoided”.
Cabin crew are reportedly calling for better working conditions, more predictable schedules and longer notice periods for duty rosters.
At CityLine, around 800 employees are also seeking a social agreement, as the subsidiary is scheduled to shut down and be replaced by a new airline, Lufthansa City Airlines, next year.
Lufthansa, for its part, says it remains ready to resume talks at any time, stressing that lasting solutions can only be achieved through dialogue.
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