Lufthansa Strike Disrupts Passengers; City Airlines Clinches Pay Agreement
Tens of thousands of passengers experienced significant travel disruptions across Germany on April 10, 2026, due to a strike involving Lufthansa’s cabin crew. The strike was organized by the UFO union and affected operations primarily at Frankfurt and Munich airports.
Lufthansa Strike Overview
The industrial action began at midnight and was scheduled to continue until 10 p.m. (2000 GMT). During this time, Frankfurt Airport operator Fraport reported the cancellation of approximately 580 flights, impacting around 72,000 travelers out of 1,350 scheduled flights for the day. An estimated 155,000 passengers were expected to travel.
- Strike Start Time: Midnight, April 10, 2026
- Strike End Time: 10 p.m. (2000 GMT)
- Flights Cancelled: Approximately 580
- Passengers Affected: Around 72,000
Response from Lufthansa and the Union
Lufthansa’s brand chief, Jens Ritter, criticized the strike as “completely disproportionate.” In contrast, UFO representatives indicated that the escalation was necessary due to stalled negotiations.
City Airlines Reaches Pay Agreement
In a notable development amid the disruption, Lufthansa City Airlines, part of the Lufthansa Group, successfully negotiated its first collective labor agreement with the Verdi union. This agreement covers 500 cockpit and cabin staff and will increase basic salaries by 20% to 35% over three stages by March 2029. Additionally, employees will benefit from more vacation time, extra days off, improved work schedules, and enhanced pension options.
Impact of Industry Changes
The contrasting outcomes between Lufthansa and its regional unit, City Airlines, reflect broader changes within the Lufthansa Group. The main airline focuses on long-haul and major European routes, while short-haul operations have traditionally been managed by CityLine. However, plans are underway to close CityLine by the end of the year, transitioning these operations to City Airlines, which was established in 2022 as a response to increasing competition in the European aviation sector.
These restructuring efforts have raised concerns among CityLine staff, who are apprehensive about potential job losses and their future employment prospects.
