Lufthansa Pilots Plan Two-Day Strike

Lufthansa pilots will stage a two-day strike starting April 13, 2026, after collective bargaining talks over pension benefits failed to produce an agreement, the pilots’ union Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) said. The union announced the action on Saturday, April 11, 2026, setting a walkout that is scheduled to begin at 00:01 CET on April 13 and end at 23:59 CET on April 14.

VC said the strike is linked to an unresolved dispute over pension provisions and described the decision as a response to what it called the company’s failure to present an acceptable offer during ongoing negotiations. The industrial action is expected to affect flights operated by Lufthansa, Lufthansa Cargo, and Lufthansa CityLine, according to the union’s statement.

In addition to the main strike, VC also called a separate strike for Lufthansa subsidiary Eurowings on April 13. The union’s announcement indicates that multiple parts of the group’s flight operations could face disruption during the first day of the planned action.

VC said some routes are excluded from the strike. Flights to specific Middle Eastern destinations are not covered by the action, including Azerbaijan, Egypt, Bahrain, Iraq, Israel, Yemen, Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.

Lufthansa responded by describing the union’s move as a “completely new level of escalation.” The airline said it viewed VC’s demand to “double an already above-average and excellent company pension scheme” as unrealistic, calling it absurd and unachievable. Lufthansa’s statement underscored what it portrayed as a wide gap between the two sides’ expectations on pension arrangements.

The dispute places renewed focus on labor relations at one of Europe’s largest airline groups, with potential operational consequences across passenger services and cargo operations during the strike window. Any disruption affecting Lufthansa Cargo could also be relevant for time-sensitive shipments that rely on air freight capacity, while passenger cancellations or schedule changes can ripple through connecting itineraries that depend on Lufthansa’s network.

Key uncertainties remain, including the scale of flight cancellations and whether talks will narrow differences before the strike begins. VC’s statement and Lufthansa’s response both point to a significant divergence on pension provisions, leaving the near-term outcome dependent on whether negotiations produce a compromise ahead of April 13.