Lufthansa Strike Disrupts Travel as City Airlines Secures Pay Deal

Tens of thousands of passengers across Germany faced major travel disruptions as Lufthansa cabin crew and its regional unit CityLine staged a day-long strike, leading to widespread flight cancellations at key airports. The industrial action, organized by the UFO union, affected major hubs including Frankfurt and Munich, with Frankfurt Airport alone reporting around 580 cancelled flights and roughly 72,000 passengers impacted.

Lufthansa management criticized the strike as “completely disproportionate,” while union representatives defended the move, saying stalled wage negotiations left them with no choice but to escalate. The strike highlights growing tensions within the airline group as employees demand better pay and working conditions amid ongoing restructuring in Europe’s aviation sector.

In contrast, Lufthansa’s newer subsidiary City Airlines reached its first labour agreement with the Verdi union, securing salary increases of 20% to 35% through 2029 along with improved benefits and working conditions. The agreement comes as Lufthansa plans to shut down CityLine by the end of the year and shift short-haul operations to City Airlines, raising concerns among CityLine employees over job security and future employment.

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