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, with various UK airports affected by the aftermath.
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.
The strike is scheduled to commence at 12:01 am on April 16 and last until 11:59 pm on April 17, primarily affecting departures from German airports, including flights to the UK.
Notably, flights to several Middle Eastern destinations will be exempt from the strike due to ongoing tensions in the region, encompassing routes to countries like Egypt, Israel, and the UAE.
According to Union president Andreas Pinheiro, the deadlock in negotiations persists with no progress from employers on pension or pay agreements within the airline group.
The VC’s website message stated that if employers agree to mediation, the Cockpit Association will promptly propose suitable mediators.
Over 1,000 flights have been canceled to date, impacting over 4,500 UK travelers caught in the disruption.
Numerous flights from London Heathrow, Manchester, Birmingham, and Edinburgh to Frankfurt or Munich have been canceled, with Lufthansa indicating that only around one-third of short-haul flights and half of long-haul flights will operate as scheduled.
Eurowings, experiencing 570 flight cancellations at Frankfurt Airport affecting over 50,000 passengers, plans to operate 60% of its schedule.
Munich Airport has witnessed approximately 720 flight cancellations over the last two days due to the strike.