Lufthansa cabin crew begin strike, hundreds of flights cancelled
10.04.2026, dpa
Cabin crew at German airline Lufthansa began a strike at midnight, a spokeswoman for the UFO union has confirmed.
Around 20,000 flight attendants have been called on to stay off work until 10 pm (2000 GMT) on Friday.
The UFO union called the strike in an effort to break deadlocked wage negotiations with Lufthansa's core airline and its regional subsidiary Lufthansa CityLine, which is also affected by the strike.
It marks the third major walkout this year at Germany's largest airline, following two rounds of pilot strikes.
Lufthansa has announced contingency measures but had already cancelled hundreds of flights in advance.
At Frankfurt, the airline's largest hub, around 75% of roughly 350 planned Lufthansa departures were cancelled, according to airport schedules. Landings were similarly affected.
Officially, only departures in Germany are affected, including at the hubs in Munich and Frankfurt and at other airports such as Leipzig/Halle, Berlin and Stuttgart.
However, due to aircraft being out of position at foreign destinations, many return flights for Easter holiday travellers are also expected to be cancelled.
Lufthansa advised passengers to check their flight status before travelling, saying tickets can be rebooked or refunded. In cases of delays of more than three hours, passengers are entitled to compensation. The airline must also provide alternative transport, as well as meals and accommodation where necessary.
The strike follows a warning strike and a union ballot that showed strong support among Lufthansa cabin crew for industrial action. The UFO union said the dispute centres on stalled talks over Lufthansa's collective agreement and the company's refusal to negotiate a social plan for Lufthansa CityLine.
Rana Taha
Hundreds of flights have been canceled as cabin crew members walk out. This is Lufthansa's third major strike this year.
Cabin crew at German flag carrier Lufthansa walked off of their jobs on Friday, with a strike that began at midnight (2200 Thursday GMT) and that will affect hundreds of flights.
Some 20,000 flight attendants have been called to strike until 10 p.m. on Friday.
The UFO trade union called a one-day strike for its members both with Lufthansa and its Cityline regional subsidiary, as wage negotiations continue to stall.
The walkout is Lufthansa's third major one this year. It follows two rounds of pilot strikes.
How is the strike expected to affect travel?
Lufthansa, Germany's largest airline, canceled hundreds of flights in advance of the strike, as it struggles to mitigate the impact of the walkout.
Cancellations are expected to hit the hubs in Munich and Frankfurt, as well as other airports, including Leipzig/Halle, Berlin and Stuttgart.
At its largest hub in Frankfurt, nearly 75% of some 350 scheduled Lufthansa departures were canceled.
Though the strike is only meant to affect departures in Germany, it is expected to lead to the cancellation of several return flights for Easter holiday travelers.
The airline advised its passengers to check the status of their flights before heading to the airport.
Lufthansa is struggling in negotiations not just with the UFO cabin crew union but also the pilots' trade union Vereinigung Cockpit.
The two organizations joined forces in early February in a bid to maximize the impact of their strike, leading to major disruptions. The pilots then went on strike for another two days in mid-March.
Edited by: Sean Sinico
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