Lufthansa Cargo is facing another two days of disruption after pilot members of the Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) union decided to extend their strike action amid an ongoing dispute over contract terms and pension provisions.
The pilots had already walked out on 13 and 14 April, but the union has now confirmed that strikes will also continue on 16 and 17 April. The action involves pilots from Lufthansa Cargo, Lufthansa Airlines and Lufthansa CityLine.
Today’s industrial action is also overlapping with separate strike action by cabin crew union UFO, adding further pressure across the wider Lufthansa operation.
In a customer update, Lufthansa said the group and Lufthansa Cargo remain in close and continuous contact with all parties involved in the industrial action. Despite the disruption, the cargo carrier expects to operate six freighter flights today and 14 tomorrow.
Bellyhold capacity, however, is being hit much harder. Lufthansa said that most short- and long-haul passenger flights operated by Lufthansa and Lufthansa CityLine from Frankfurt and Munich over the two strike days are expected to be cancelled. As a result, available belly capacity and onward cargo transport are significantly reduced.
Across the broader Lufthansa Group, around 70% of flights are still expected to operate. The company added that group airlines working with Lufthansa Cargo — including Austrian, Brussels, Discover, ITA, Swiss and SunExpress — as well as joint venture partners Cathay Pacific and United Airlines, are continuing as scheduled.
At the Lufthansa Cargo hubs in Frankfurt and Munich, shipments other than BUP cargo will only be accepted no earlier than 24 hours before departure until 20 April. A transit embargo is also in place at both hubs until and including 20 April for animals, hatching eggs, perishables, emergency shipments, organ shipments, human remains and temperature-sensitive cargo.
VC said Lufthansa had rejected its latest proposal, which the union described as a constructive arbitration offer that had also been well received publicly. VC president Andreas Pinheiro said the airline not only rejected the proposal but also failed to table negotiable alternatives, increasing the risk of further escalation instead of de-escalation.
Lufthansa and Lufthansa Cargo, for their part, say they remain in ongoing discussions with all parties involved.
