Lufthansa is facing a two-day pilot strike after union Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) called on its pilot members to walk out after a series of negotiations failed to achieve contractual changes.
On March 10, 2026, Vereinigung Cockpit confirmed Lufthansa and Lufthansa Cargo pilots flying from German airports would take industrial action on March 12 and 13, 2026, over issues related to the company’s pension scheme.
VC President Andreas Pinheiro said he would have “preferred to avoid further escalation” but there remains “no offer on the table”.
“It doesn’t help if the other side only signals a willingness to talk but doesn’t want to discuss substantial improvements to the company pension scheme,” he added.
According to VC, since the union’s last strike on February 12, 2026, Lufthansa has not submitted an offer.
“We have negotiated long enough without an offer,” said Arne Karstens, spokesperson for the Group Collective Bargaining Commission (GTK). “Seven rounds of negotiations, lengthy periods of consideration, and even a mediated offer – the employer let all that pass by. We will only continue talks when a negotiable offer is on the table.”
Before February’s strike the head of HR at Lufthansa Michael Niggemann said that the “escalation is completely unnecessary” and the company has no “financial leeway” to meet employees’ demands.
“Until 2017, pilots received a traditional company pension with guaranteed payouts. At the employer’s insistence, this was replaced by a capital market-financed model that falls significantly short of the previous pension level,” said the union.
Lufthansa CityLine also strike
Vereinigung Cockpit is also calling on Lufthansa CityLine pilots to strike after negotiations failed over a new collective bargaining agreement on pay.
According to VC, Lufthansa CityLine did submit a first time offer to the union at a meeting on February 25, 2026, but it was rejected.
“This offer was unacceptable to us. It falls far short of our demands and includes a comprehensive peace obligation for all issues that can be regulated by collective bargaining. This would effectively render VC powerless at CityLine,” explained Karstens.
The strike will affect Lufthansa CityLine flights departing from German airports on March 12, 2026.
VC emphasized that no Lufthansa flights from current crisis areas in the Middle East are affected by the strike action.
In a statement, Lufthansa said: “Lufthansa is working intensively to keep the impact on our passengers as low as possible. We are trying to have as many flights as possible operated by other airlines within the Lufthansa Group and by partner airlines.”
