Hundreds more flights cancelled as another two-day walkout planned in major strike

Lufthansa is bracing for further widespread disruption as its cabin crew union announced a two-day strike later this week, following a walkout last Friday and an ongoing pilots' strike.

The UFO union has called for the industrial action to affect all departures from Frankfurt and Munich on Wednesday and Thursday.

Pilots are also striking on Monday and Tuesday, impacting tens of thousands of passengers as hundreds more flights were cancelled. This latest wave of industrial action follows earlier strikes by both cabin crew and pilots in February and March, which caused widespread cancellations.

In response to the latest strike plans, Lufthansa board member Michael Niggemann criticised the union, saying it is "completely indifferent to the fate of our passengers and the future of Lufthansa".

Last Friday's cabin crew strike resulted in the cancellation of hundreds of flights. The union cited a deadlock in collective bargaining, stating that "the union sees no sufficient movement on the part of the employers."

Around 72,000 passengers across Germany endured significant travel disruption on with Frankfurt Airport operator Fraport reported approximately 580 flight cancellations by Friday morning.

The strike also severely affected Munich, another key Lufthansa hub, while CityLine cabin crew walked out at nine airports nationwide.

Meanwhile Lufthansa's newest subsidiary, Lufthansa City Airlines, successfully signed its inaugural labour agreement. Lufthansa brand chief Jens Ritter criticised the widespread industrial action as "completely disproportionate," though UFO negotiators maintained that "escalation was inevitable given stalled talks."

The walkout stands in sharp contrast to developments at Lufthansa City Airlines, the group's newest and smallest subsidiary, where the rival union Verdi secured the carrier's first collective wage agreement covering 500 cockpit and cabin staff.

The deal, reached after marathon talks last week, will lift basic salaries by between 20 per cent and 35 per cent in three stages through March 2029, and includes extra days off, more vacation, improved roster planning and expanded pension support, Verdi said.

The diverging fortunes of the two subsidiaries reflect a broader restructuring underway inside the Lufthansa Group. Lufthansa operates long-haul and major European routes through its mainline airline, while short-haul feeder flights have historically been handled by CityLine.

The group has said it plans to close CityLine by year-end, with its feeder operations transitioning to City Airlines, which was founded in 2022 as a cost-efficient alternative amid growing competitive pressures in Europe's aviation industry.

The closure plan has sparked anger among CityLine's staff, who fear job losses and uncertain futures.