Fresh turmoil is on the horizon for British travelers as a new series of pilot strikes impacts one of the largest airline conglomerates in Europe.
Holiday arrangements have been thrown into disarray this week following a two-day strike at Lufthansa, resulting in numerous flight cancellations across Europe, including several UK airports affected by the fallout.
The pilots’ union Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) has now announced additional strike actions across the airline and its affiliated entities, such as Lufthansa Cargo, Lufthansa CityLine, and Eurowings.
Scheduled to commence at 12:01 am on April 16 and last until 11:59 pm on April 17, the strike will primarily impact departures from German airports, potentially affecting routes to the UK.
The union specified that flights to various Middle Eastern countries would be exempt due to ongoing tensions in the region, including services to Egypt, Israel, and the UAE.
Union president Andreas Pinheiro expressed frustration over the impasse in negotiations, highlighting the lack of progress from employers regarding pensions and salary agreements within the airline group.
The VC’s website noted that if employers accept the mediation proposal, the Cockpit Association will promptly propose suitable mediators.
Over 1,000 flights have been canceled thus far, leaving more than 4,500 UK passengers stranded by the disruptions.
Numerous flights bound for Frankfurt or Munich from London Heathrow, Manchester, Birmingham, and Edinburgh were canceled today. Lufthansa indicated that only about one-third of their short-haul flights and half of their long-haul flights would operate as scheduled.
Eurowings, which experienced 570 flight cancellations at Frankfurt Airport affecting over 50,000 travelers, plans to run 60% of its flight schedule.
The strike has resulted in approximately 720 flight cancellations at Munich Airport over the past two days.
