Pilots from both Lufthansa and Lufthansa Cargo have voted in support of possible strike action over pensions plans that have been part of ongoing negotiations with the airline.
On September 30, 2025, the Cockpit Association, a union representing 10,000 pilots from all German airlines, announced that it had received a strong mandate for the next steps in the dispute.
90% of Lufthansa’s pilots voted, with 88% showing support for the collective bargaining committee. 95% of Lufthansa Cargo pilots voted, with 96% behind the mandate.
“The result is a strong signal of the unity of our members. The pilots clearly stand behind the demands and their collective bargaining committee,” said Andreas Pinheiro, President of the Cockpit Association. “We thank everyone who cast their vote.”
The vote was opened to members on September 12, 2025, once negotiations between the two parties had failed after seven rounds of talks.
According to the Cockpit Association, the “reason for this was the massive differences regarding the company pension plan”.
Arne Karstens, spokesperson for the collective bargaining committee, said: “Retirement provision is a central foundation of life planning for pilots – at least as important as the statutory pension. We now expect Lufthansa to take the signals from its workforce seriously and finally present a negotiable offer for company pension provision.”
According to the union, with the vote completed, it now has authorization to “initiate all necessary measures, including industrial action, if necessary”.
The Cockpit Association established the collective bargaining commission in 2023 to consolidate the interests of all Lufthansa Group pilots across all flight operations.
AeroTime has approached Lufthansa for comment.
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