Pilots' union calls for 48-hour strike at Lufthansa starting April 13

The pilots' union, Vereinigung Cockpit (VC), has called for a 48-hour strike at Lufthansa starting Monday, April 13, following a breakdown in negotiations over pension schemes.

The union stated that the airline failed to provide a negotiable offer, prompting a walkout that will affect Lufthansa, Lufthansa Cargo, and Lufthansa CityLine through April 14.

Specifically, the action is scheduled to run from 00:01 CET on Monday to 23:59 CET on Tuesday.

In a strategic move, the union has explicitly exempted 13 Middle Eastern destinations from the strike, citing the current geopolitical situation and humanitarian concerns amid regional volatility. These exclusions include flights to Israel, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, and Jordan, among others.

Additionally, pilots at the budget subsidiary Eurowings have been instructed to join the industrial action for a single day on Monday, April 13.

"The Cockpit union feels compelled to take this step after the employers' side showed no real willingness to reach a solution in several collective bargaining disputes," VC President Andreas Pinheiro said.

"Despite our deliberate decision not to take strike action over the Easter holidays, no serious offers have been made."

Lufthansa said in a statement that VC's announcement marked a "completely new level of escalation", and said the union's demand to "double an already above-average and excellent company pension scheme is absurd and unachievable".

The walkout adds to a turbulent start to the year for Europe’s biggest airline, which is also dealing with the fallout from the broader geopolitical challenges affecting air travel — notably, the war in Iran.

Earlier this month, a separate union called on cabin crew to walk off the job, hitting the busy Easter holiday period.

The cabin crew strike had led to about 90 percent of flights being cancelled at Lufthansa Group’s two airlines.

On February 12 almost 800 Lufthansa flights were cancelled, affecting around 100,000 passengers, when pilots and cabin crew staged a strike in a pensions dispute.

In January, another pilots' two-day strike over pensions saw around half of the airline's flights grounded.

Cathay Pacific Airways to cut flights from mid-May to end-June due to soaring jet fuel prices

Cathay Pacific Airways announced on Saturday that it will reduce its flight schedule from mid-May through the end of June, attributing the decision to the "soaring" cost of jet fuel driven by the ongoing Middle East conflict. The airline plans to cancel approximately 2% of its total passenger flights between May 16 and June 30, 2026. Simultaneously, its low-cost subsidiary, HK Express, will implement a 6% reduction in services starting May 11.

The flag carrier also confirmed that the existing suspension of passenger services to Dubai and Riyadh will be extended through June 30. This recalibration follows a statement last month from CEO Ronald Lam, who initially aimed to expand passenger capacity by 10% this year. Lam had cited robust demand for long-haul routes to Europe, North America, and Australia as travelers sought alternatives after the Iran war severely disrupted transit through Middle Eastern hubs.

Despite the current cuts, Cathay Pacific and HK Express intend to resume full scheduled operations starting in July. However, aviation executives warned this week that U.S. President Donald Trump’s recently brokered two-week ceasefire with Iran is unlikely to provide immediate relief. Global fuel supplies are expected to remain constrained for months as the industry continues to navigate the highest energy prices in years.