Germany’s largest airline Lufthansa grounded flights on Thursday as a strike by pilots and cabin crew got underway.
The strike, called by pilots’ trade union Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) and the cabin crew union UFO, began in the early hours of Thursday and continues until just before midnight.
Hundreds of flights have been axed, leaving passengers stranded.
The strike action affects people travelling from various airports, including Frankfurt, Munich, Berlin, Hamburg, Stuttgart, Düsseldorf, Dresden, Leipzig, Bremen and Hanover. Lufthansa flights at the EuroAirport Basel Mulhouse Freiburg are also affected.
The airline operator has not disclosed exactly how many connections have been cut from the schedule, but announced “extensive flight cancellations”.
Lufthansa said in a statement: “The trade unions Vereinigung Cockpit and UFO have called on Lufthansa’s crews to strike on Thursday, February 12th. As a result, the airline will have to adjust its flight schedule.
“Guests whose flights are affected by the strike are currently being rebooked. This process is our highest priority and is still ongoing. We therefore kindly ask for your patience.”
Passengers are advised to check in advance the status of their flight and avoid the airport if they are affected.
Customers travelling within Germany can also rebook on Deutsche Bahn train services at no extra cost, Lufthansa said.
READ ALSO: Passengers in Germany face disruption as Lufthansa crew to strike
What is the strike about?
The coordinated strike comes after VC members voted in favour of industrial action in September. Around 4,800 pilots from Lufthansa and Lufthansa Cargo are fighting for higher employer contributions to their company pensions.
Meanwhile, cabin crew union Ufo is striking in a bid to forge new collective agreements, both at Lufthansa’s core company and at its regional subsidiary Cityline. It says that around 800 jobs are at risk there due to the group’s strategy. Ufo is also demanding a collective social plan, which has so far been refused by management.
Lufthansa’s management slammed the strike action, calling it “completely unnecessary escalation”.
Which airlines are still flying?
The strike only affects Lufthansa services so other airlines – and general airport operations – are continuing as usual.
But even within the Lufthansa Group, not all airlines are hit: the German Lufthansa subsidiaries Eurowings and Discover are running.
Flights operated by Swiss, Austrian, Ita and Brussels Airlines are also operating as are other large companies with a presence in Germany such as Ryanair, Easyjet and Condor.
Regular service from Lufthansa is expected to resume on Friday but there may be knock-on delays following the strike.
READ ALSO: What are your rights in Germany if your flight is delayed or cancelled?
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: thelocal.de
