Pilots at Lufthansa CityLine have authorized a potential strike after wage talks with management stalled, the Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) pilots’ union said.
VC said a strike vote among Lufthansa CityLine pilots produced a 99% “yes” vote with 95% participation, giving the union’s group bargaining committee a mandate “for all further steps.” VC did not announce a strike date.
The vote followed a breakdown in negotiations over a collective bargaining agreement. German media reported that VC rejected an employer offer that, in the union’s view, fell short of its demands and included a “peace obligation” through the end of 2027, which VC said would limit bargaining on issues that remain negotiable.
Lufthansa CityLine operates short-haul feeder flights within the group’s network. Lufthansa has said it plans to phase out CityLine flying and move routes to Lufthansa City Airlines, a newer subsidiary the group set up as part of its efforts to lower costs on short- and medium-haul operations.
The CityLine strike authorization comes weeks after Lufthansa canceled hundreds of flights during a separate labor dispute. On February 12, 2026, a brief labor action led Lufthansa to cancel nearly 800 flights, affecting about 100,000 passengers.
That walkout involved multiple labor actions across the group], as pilots represented by VC targeted Lufthansa’s core airline and Lufthansa Cargo in a dispute centered on pensions, while the union also called a strike at Lufthansa CityLine tied to the company’s restructuring plans.
VC has not outlined what form a CityLine strike would take, how long a walkout could last, or whether it would coordinate action with other labor groups. The union’s ballot result allows it to call industrial action under German labor practice, but a strike is not automatic.
Lufthansa has faced separate negotiations across pilot, cabin, and ground staff groups over recent years, with strikes and threatened walkouts periodically forcing cancellations and schedule changes.
Neither VC nor Lufthansa CityLine disclosed additional details in the union’s ballot announcement about the next bargaining session, whether talks will resume immediately, or whether either side has requested mediation. VC said only that the ballot delivered a strong mandate for further steps.
