Lufthansa pilots to strike on Friday for ongoing wage dispute

FRANKFURT – Pilots at Lufthansa will strike on Friday, a labour union said on wednesday, in an escalation of an ongoing wage dispute that will further plague a summer of travel chaos.

The union, Vereinigung Cockpit (VC), said that pay talks had failed and that the strike would affect pilots for the passenger airline as well as its cargo division.

Lufthansa declined immediate comment.

Strikes and staff shortages have already forced airlines including Lufthansa to cancel thousands of flights this summer and caused hours-long queues at major airports, frustrating holidaymakers keen to travel after Covid-19 lockdowns.

VC is demanding a 5.5 per cent pay rise this year for its more than 5,000 pilots and automatic inflation compensation thereafter.

“We have not received a sufficient offer today either. This is sobering and a missed opportunity,” said VC spokesperson Matthias Baier.

Earlier on Wednesday, pilots at Lufthansa's subsidiary Eurowings voted in favour of strikes but first want to continue wage negotiations with their employer.

Earlier this month, Lufthansa's management reached a pay deal with ground staff, averting further walkouts after a strike had forced it to cancel more than 1,000 flights.