Lufthansa Cancels Most Flights Amid Pilot Strike

 

Lufthansa is cancelling almost all of its flights to and from its main Frankfurt and Munich hubs on September 2 due to a planned 24-hour strike action by its pilots.  Some 800 flights have been scrapped, affecting both cargo-only and passenger aircraft.

A union representing the airline’s pilots announced today that they will stage the one-day walk-out after demands for a pay increase were rejected by the airline.  The Vereinigung Cockpit union accused Lufthansa of failing to improve on the company’s previous offer, leaving pilots no choice but to go ahead with the industrial action to press their demands.

All flights expected to land in Frankfurt tomorrow will continue as scheduled, as will all departures from Frankfurt to Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York on September 1.  However, the transit and export of FWN (tropical fish, shrimp larvae, and worms) and FZN (animals, birds, reptiles, and fish eggs for reproduction) have been cancelled through Sunday.

The airline is “working at full speed” to rebook freight shipments affected by the flight cancellations and is asking customers not to deliver cargo to the airport until their shipments have been confirmed on the next available flights.

Isolated cancellations or delays are also possible on Saturday and Sunday.