Lufthansa flights axed as pilots walk out

FRANKFURT - Lufthansa said about half its flights were cancelled Thursday as pilots from the German airline kicked off a two-day strike over pensions.

The pilots’ union called the second walkout in the space of a month after talks with management broke down.

The airline says around 50 per cent of its originally planned flight schedule is running on Thursday and Friday, with about 60 per cent of long-haul services operating.

Some pilots had decided to work despite the walkout, while other airlines in the broader Lufthansa Group took over some of flagship carrier’s flights.

The union Cockpit said the first day of the strike was “going better than expected” with more flights cancelled than they had expected.

Cockpit and Lufthansa have held numerous rounds of talks but the union says management is yet to submit an improved pension offer.

The union accuses management of introducing a new pension model that risks leaving staff worse off in retirement, and of not wanting to engage in constructive talks.

Lufthansa human resources chief Michale Niggemann earlier criticised the walkout as “completely incomprehensible,” particularly at a time of “geopolitical uncertainty with the war in Iran” that had thrown global air traffic into chaos.

Several flights to Middle East destinations were excluded from the industrial action.

Pilots from Lufthansa’s cargo operation were also called on to strike but most of the division’s flights were still running, according to the group.

Announcing its 2025 annual results last week, the Lufthansa group reported a forecast-beating operating profit of 1.96 billion euros (US$2.27 billion), around 20 per cent higher than the previous year.

However, the airline warned it faced an uncertain outlook because of the Middle East conflict.