Lufthansa strike paralyses air travel in Germany for fourth straight day

A four-day strike by Lufthansa pilots and cabin crew caused widespread flight cancellations across Germany, disrupting operations at the airline’s main hubs in Frankfurt and Munich as well as services operated by subsidiaries CityLine and Eurowings.

At Frankfurt airport alone, 656 of 1,313 scheduled take-offs and landings were cancelled on Thursday, airport operator Fraport said. Lufthansa has warned of flight disruptions from April 13 through April 17 due to strike action by the Vereinigung Cockpit and UFO unions.

Pilots are striking over pension terms, while cabin crew are seeking better working conditions and a social plan for CityLine, which Lufthansa plans to wind down. The VC pilots’ union said talks had reached an impasse, while Lufthansa called the demands unrealistic.