Lufthansa cancels flights impacting 100,000 passengers as ground staff strike

07 February 2024 , 15:39

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Lufthansa expected to be able to run as little as 10% of its flights (Image: Anadolu via Getty Images)

Hundreds of staff have walked out of their jobs at Europe's second largest airline today.

Ground staff for Lufthansa walked off the job at five major German airports on Wednesday, causing the airline to cancel hundreds of flights. Although the strikes are limited to travel hubs in Germany, the knock-on effect will be felt across Europe.

The Verdi union called on ground staff at Frankfurt and Munich, Lufthansa’s two main hubs, as well as Berlin, Düsseldorf and Hamburg, to strike for 27 hours starting at 4am Wednesday.

Ahead of the strike Lufthansa said it expected to be able to operate around 10-20% of all planned flights. The airline is letting customers rebook tickets free of charge, while tickets for German domestic flights can be converted to rail vouchers.

Have you been impacted by the strikes? Email [email protected]

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The workers have walked out for 27 hours (ANNA SZILAGYI/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

In Frankfurt, the company cancelled 80-90% of the planned 600 departures and arrivals by Lufthansa itself and subsidiary Air Dolomiti ahead of the strike, German news agency dpa reported. More than 400 departures and arrivals at Munich Airport also were cancelled.

All Lufthansa departures from Berlin and Hamburg were grounded, as were most domestic flights from Dusseldorf. Lufthansa anticipated that, in all, more than 100,000 people would have to change their travel plans.

Only passengers who have been told that their Lufthansa flights have not been cancelled should head to the airport today, as rebooking counters will not be staffed for the duration of the industrial action.

Lufthansa unit Eurowings said it wasn’t affected by the industrial action.

The union is seeking a 12.5% pay raise, or at least 500 euros ($539) more per month, in negotiations for nearly 25,000 employees, including check-in, aircraft handling, maintenance and freight staff. Hourslong or one-day “warning strikes” are a common tactic in German contract negotiations.

The industrial action is not the first to have disrupted transport in Germany in recent weeks. Last Thursday, Verdi called for security staff at several major airports to take strike action, with the firm staging a walkout that led to local buses, trams and subway trains being cancelled in much of Germany.

Last summer was a particularly tumultuous one when it came to industrial action. As high rates of inflation continued to squeeze workers' wages across the UK and broader European Continent, staff across the transport sector decided to walk out in numbers not seen for decades.

Baggage handlers, check-in workers and flight attendants all joined train drivers and station staff in walking out in protest at pay and conditions. Although the rate of inflation has dipped across most of Europe in recent months, the Lufthansa walk-out suggests more strikes are likely, particularly when the busier travel times of the year begin.

Lufthansa spokesperson said: "The union Verdi has called on ground staff at Deutsche Lufthansa AG, Lufthansa Technik, Lufthansa Cargo and other companies to take part in a 27-hour warning strike on Wednesday and Thursday (7-8 February 2024).

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"Due to the warning strike, Lufthansa operates around 10 to 20 percent of the flight program. In Frankfurt, selected long-haul flights, such as to New York and Rio de Janeiro, as well as certain short and medium-haul flights are operated.

"Guests could rebook their flight cancelled due to the strike free of charge at lufthansa.com, in the customer app or via the service centres. Anyone who has booked a domestic German flight could also exchange their flight ticket for a Deutsche Bahn voucher on lufthansa.com.

"Important: We only ask guests to come to the airport if their flight has not been cancelled. Due to the strike, the rebooking counters are unfortunately not staffed."

Milo Boyd