Lufthansa faces a two-day pilot strike called by Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) union, affecting flights from German airports on March 12 and 13, 2026. The action targets Lufthansa and Lufthansa Cargo over unresolved pension scheme issues, following failed negotiations since the last strike on February 12, 2026.
VC President Andreas Pinheiro stated he preferred to avoid escalation but noted no offer remains on the table. “It doesn’t help if the other side only signals a willingness to talk but doesn’t want to discuss substantial improvements to the company pension scheme,” Pinheiro said. The union highlights that pilots’ traditional guaranteed pensions until 2017 were replaced by a capital market-financed model providing lower benefits at the employer’s insistence.
Lufthansa HR head Michael Niggemann called the strikes “completely incomprehensible,” citing geopolitical uncertainty from the war in Iran and global passenger impacts. The carrier plans to minimize disruptions by shifting flights to other Lufthansa Group airlines and partners.
Separately, Lufthansa CityLine pilots will strike on March 12, 2026, after rejecting a February 25 offer deemed inadequate and including a broad peace obligation. VC negotiator Karstens explained it fell short of demands and would limit union influence. CityLine pilots seek pay aligned with group averages amid dense regional schedules. Lufthansa offered increases but emphasized unnecessary escalation. No Middle East crisis flights are affected.
The strike begins March 12 at 00:01 a.m. and ends March 13 at 11:59 p.m. for mainline operations.