Lufthansa cabin crew have been called to strike on Friday. According to the Independent Flight Attendants Organization (UFO) union, all Lufthansa AG flights departing from Frankfurt am Main and Munich airports between 00:01 and 22:00 hours are set to be affected. The union announced this decision on Wednesday, citing failed negotiations over a new collective bargaining agreement.
The strike is set to affect two airlines simultaneously: Lufthansa and Lufthansa Cityline. Cabin crew at Lufthansa CityLine are scheduled to strike at nine German airports. As these locations are major hubs for Lufthansa, many travelers should prepare for widespread flight cancellations. The union has announced that the walkout will impact "all Lufthansa CityLine departures from Frankfurt, Munich, Hamburg, Bremen, Stuttgart, Cologne, Dusseldorf, Berlin, and Hanover."
After nearly five months during which Lufthansa failed to address cabin crew demands, negotiations have collapsed from UFO's perspective. The union pointed out that 94 percent of participants in a strike ballot voted in favor of industrial action.
"We deliberately excluded the Easter holidays from industrial action to minimize the impact on travelers," explained UFO chairman Joachim Vázquez Bürger. "We are very aware that this may nevertheless cause disruptions for those returning from their holidays, and we expressly regret this."
From the union's perspective, the situation "could have been avoided," emphasized Vázquez Bürger. The responsibility lies "with Lufthansa, which has not even managed to present a negotiable offer."
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