Elbe Flugzeugwerke is postponing the planned introduction of a 35-hour working week by at least three years as weak demand for freighter conversions keeps pressure on its Dresden operations. Employees will remain on 38 hours for now, while the aircraft conversion specialist and IG Metall have linked any later reduction to financial targets and the company’s order situation.
EFW and IG Metall had agreed in 2023 to cut the working week from 2026, but the rollout is now on hold. The reduction may still be introduced in one-hour steps over the following three years if business conditions improve. EFW labour director Kai Mielenz has tied the delay to the lack of orders for passenger-to-freighter work, which has left the planned shift to shorter hours unaffordable in the short term.
The weak conversion market reflects a broader aviation capacity squeeze, with Airbus and Boeing delivery bottlenecks keeping older widebody aircraft in service for longer and limiting the pool available for conversion. A recently extended Bundeswehr maintenance contract is expected to support job security at the Dresden site, including technical support for German NH90 helicopters over the next seven years. The company is also offering employment security through the end of 2030 in exchange for the deferred work-time cut.