Lufthansa pilots to go on strike again on Thursday, Friday

Germany’s pilots’ union Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) on Tuesday announced further strikes at Lufthansa and its affiliates Lufthansa Cargo, Lufthansa CityLine, and Eurowings later this week.

The new walkout will begin on Thursday at 12.01 am (2201GMT Wednesday) and end on Friday at 11.59 pm (2159GMT Friday). Flights departing from German airports during this period will be affected by the strike.

“The situation remains unchanged—there has been no movement whatsoever on the part of the employers,” said Cockpit CEO Andreas Pinheiro on Tuesday.

“Neither Lufthansa nor Lufthansa Cargo has presented an offer regarding the company pension plan, nor has Lufthansa CityLine presented a viable offer for a new collective bargaining agreement on compensation, nor has Eurowings presented an offer regarding the company pension plan,” he added.

The current 48-hour strike, called by VC on Monday, stems from months of stalled negotiations over pay and company pensions. The union says Lufthansa has failed to make acceptable offers.

Even as the pilots’ action winds down at midnight Tuesday, travelers face fresh disruptions. A separate two-day strike by cabin crew is set to begin at 12.01 am Wednesday (2201GMT Tuesday) and run until shortly before midnight Thursday.

This week’s strike is expected to overshadow Lufthansa’s official centenary ceremony in Frankfurt on Friday.