Lufthansa cabin-crew strike on Friday: Why are they staging walk-out and how will it affect flight operations? Explained

Deutsche Lufthansa AG is bracing for a cabin crew strike on Friday at airports across Germany, which could disrupt travel plans for passengers returning after the Easter holidays.

According to a statement issued on Wednesday, the labour union UFO has urged Lufthansa cabin crew to stage a walkout on Friday, 10 April, from 12:01 AM to 10 PM. It has also called on crew members of regional carrier Lufthansa CityLine to join the strike the same day, impacting departures at multiple German airports, including Berlin and Hamburg.

As per Bloomberg, Head of UFO, Joachim Vázquez Bürger, stated, “We are well aware that this may lead to disruptions for people returning from their holidays, and we explicitly regret this. However, this situation could have been avoided — the responsibility lies with Lufthansa, which has so far failed to present a negotiable offer.”

Why is Lufthansa cabin-crew on strike on Friday?

The strike comes after months of deadlocked negotiations over a new collective labour agreement, with the union saying Deutsche Lufthansa AG has failed to present a proposal that could form the basis for talks.

The talks centre around issues including working conditions for 19,000 members working for Lufthansa and social provisions for the 800 members working for Cityline, which faces a phase-out amid restructuring.

Lufthansa pilots staged a one-day strike in February and a two-day strike in March over a disagreement concerning pension benefits, with cabin crew from the CityLine also joining the February action.

The pilots are demanding improved retirement benefits, while the airline maintains that cost reductions are necessary to manage its debt, as per AFP.

At Lufthansa CityLine, the walkout is linked to a dispute over a social plan for employees, including severance packages and protections, as the regional airline is set for closure.

Lufthansa cabin-crew strike: How will it affect flight operations?

The strike will reportedly affect all departures from Frankfurt and Munich airports.

Deutsche Lufthansa AG said the strike’s timing is likely to affect passengers “particularly hard” and called on the union to keep negotiations going.

The airline added on Thursday that it has already issued a revised flight schedule for the strike period and is taking steps to minimise disruption by deploying larger aircraft and increasing services through other airlines within its group.

Deutsche Lufthansa AG has already had a rocky start to the year, grappling with labour disputes, including pilot strikes that disrupted hundreds of flights and added to challenges arising from broader geopolitical tensions impacting air travel.

When the group released its 2025 annual results in March, it reported an operating profit of €1.96 billion ($2.27 billion), surpassing forecasts and rising about 20% compared with the previous year. This marked a rebound from 2024, when profits had fallen sharply due to strikes, delays in aircraft deliveries, and increasing costs.

Meanwhile, the airline’s shares fell by as much as 4.4% in Frankfurt trading on Thursday, and the stock has declined by around 7% so far this year.

(With inputs from agencies)