Frankfurt, Germany: Pilots at Germany’s flagship carrier Lufthansa pilots have announced a 48-hour strike beginning March 12, escalating a long-running labor dispute between the airline and pilot representatives over pensions, employment conditions and corporate restructuring.
The industrial action was called by the German pilots’ union Vereinigung Cockpit (VC). According to the union, the strike will begin at 00:01 local time on March 12 and continue until 23:59 on March 13, affecting both passenger and cargo flights operated by Lufthansa departing from German airports.
The union has called on more than 5,000 Lufthansa pilots to join the walkout. The strike is expected to impact pilots working for Lufthansa’s mainline operations as well as Lufthansa Cargo and potentially pilots from its regional subsidiary Lufthansa CityLine, which operates feeder flights to major hubs such as Frankfurt and Munich.
VC President Andreas Pinheiro said the union wanted to avoid escalating tensions but accused Lufthansa of failing to present a concrete proposal.
“It doesn’t help if the other side only signals a willingness to talk but doesn’t want to discuss substantial improvements to the company pension scheme,” said Pinheiro.
Arne Karstens, spokesperson for the union’s collective bargaining committee, said seven rounds of negotiations and mediation attempts had failed, and that talks would not resume until Lufthansa presents a “negotiable offer.”
The dispute centers largely on retirement and financial security for pilots. The VC union is demanding higher employer contributions to Lufthansa’s corporate pension plan, arguing that inflation and the airline’s cost-cutting measures have reduced the long-term value of pilots’ retirement benefits.
Union officials also say ongoing restructuring within the Lufthansa Group and uncertainty surrounding the future of subsidiaries such as Lufthansa CityLine have intensified concerns about job security and working conditions.
Negotiations between Lufthansa management and union representatives have so far failed to reach an agreement, prompting the union to escalate the dispute through a strike.
The planned March strike follows another major labor action earlier this year. On February 12, 2026, pilots and cabin crew staged a 24-hour nationwide strike, forcing Lufthansa to cancel hundreds of flights across Germany and disrupting travel for tens of thousands of passengers.
Reports indicated that around 800 flights were cancelled, affecting approximately 100,000 passengers, with major disruptions concentrated at the airline’s primary hubs in Frankfurt and Munich.
The February strike was driven by similar issues, including disagreements over pensions and broader labor negotiations between airline management and employee unions.
The two-day strike in March again might disrupt Lufthansa’s flight operations across Germany, potentially leading to large-scale flight cancellations and delays for both passenger and cargo services.
Airlines typically attempt to mitigate such disruptions by rebooking travelers onto alternative flights, including those operated by partner carriers within the Star Alliance network.
VC said several routes would be exempt from the strike due to geopolitical tensions and humanitarian considerations. Flights to Egypt, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Iraq, Israel, Yemen, Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates will continue to operate.
Lufthansa has previously criticized strike actions as unnecessary escalation, arguing that financial constraints limit its ability to meet union demands while maintaining competitiveness in Europe’s airline market.
