Lufthansa Pilots Launch 48-Hour Strike Over Pensions

Pilots at Lufthansa launched a 48-hour strike on Thursday, March 12, 2026, disrupting flights departing from German airports and escalating a long-standing dispute over pensions and working conditions. The action, called by the Vereinigung Cockpit union, began at 0001 local time and was set to continue until 2359 on Friday, March 13, affecting both passenger and cargo operations across the airline's network.

The strike stems from failed negotiations between the union and Lufthansa on remuneration issues, particularly the company pension scheme for pilots at Lufthansa and its subsidiary Lufthansa CityLine. Union representatives stated that the airline had not presented a sufficient proposal, prompting the short-notice walkout after months of stalled talks. This marks the second major industrial action in recent months, following a previous strike last month that the airline described as severely impacting passengers.

Lufthansa announced it would maintain more than 50 percent of its original flight schedule during the strike days, with up to 60 percent of long-haul connections operating as planned. The carrier published a special timetable, relying on volunteer pilots, partner...