Lufthansa and Eurowings have appointed Roland Koch and Günther Heckelmann as arbitrators in their dispute with pilots, with Koch handling Lufthansa Classic and Lufthansa Cargo and Heckelmann covering Eurowings and Lufthansa Cityline. The move follows an agreement with the Vereinigung Cockpit union on a combined arbitration and mediation process aimed at keeping talks moving and reducing the risk of strike action across the group.
The pilots’ union has named former Thuringia premier Bodo Ramelow for the three arbitration tracks. The framework covers Lufthansa’s core passenger airline, its cargo unit, the low-cost Eurowings operation and the former regional subsidiary Cityline, reflecting the breadth of the labour conflict.
The dispute centres on pay and working conditions for Lufthansa pilots and comes amid pressure to preserve operational stability through the busy summer period. The split assignment of mediators places Koch on the main Lufthansa and cargo businesses, while Heckelmann takes the subsidiaries with separate cost and staffing structures.