Lufthansa pilots announce 48-hour strike starting March 12

Germany

Union cites stalled negotiations over pensions and working conditions

Pilots at German airline Lufthansa are set to stage a 48-hour strike beginning on March 12 after negotiations with management over pensions and working conditions failed to reach an agreement. The announcement was made by Germany’s pilots’ union Vereinigung Cockpit (VC), which said talks had broken down after several rounds of negotiations.

According to the union, the strike will start at 00:01 local time on March 12 and continue until 23:59 on March 13. Pilots employed by Lufthansa Cargo and the airline’s regional subsidiary CityLine are also expected to participate in the industrial action.

Certain routes excluded from strike

Despite the planned strike, several routes will continue to operate due to geopolitical tensions and humanitarian considerations. Flights to Egypt, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Iraq, Israel, Yemen, Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates will not be affected.

The union said the decision was taken to avoid disrupting air connections to regions where travel conditions are currently sensitive.

VC President Andreas Pinheiro said the union had hoped to avoid escalation but criticised Lufthansa for not presenting a concrete proposal during negotiations.

“It doesn’t help if the other side only signals a willingness to talk but doesn’t want to discuss substantial improvements to the company pension scheme,” said Pinheiro.

Negotiations stalled after several rounds

According to Arne Karstens, spokesperson for the union’s collective bargaining committee, seven rounds of negotiations and mediation attempts failed to produce a breakthrough. The union said talks would only resume if Lufthansa presents what it described as a negotiable offer.

Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr has previously argued that pilots are increasingly focused on career development opportunities rather than pension issues. The union, however, accuses the airline of using newly established subsidiaries such as City Airlines and Discover to put pressure on existing employees by offering less favourable employment conditions.

Strike likely to disrupt flights from Germany

A previous 24-hour strike on February 12 led to the cancellation of more than 800 flights and disrupted travel for around 100,000 passengers. The upcoming 48-hour strike is expected to have a broader impact, particularly on flights departing from German airports.

Vereinigung Cockpit is demanding higher employer contributions to Lufthansa’s corporate pension scheme for around 5,000 pilots. The union argues that inflation and cost-cutting measures have weakened pilots’ retirement security.

In addition, the union opposes Lufthansa’s strategy of shifting operations to lower-cost subsidiaries such as City Airlines and Discover. According to the union, up to 800 jobs at the regional subsidiary CityLine could be at risk as part of the airline’s restructuring plans.