Lufthansa operates majority of flights despite pilot strike

Germany

Airline maintains more than half of its scheduled programme and 60 percent of long-haul services

Following the strike call by the Vereinigung Cockpit union for full-day industrial action on Thursday, 12 March, and Friday, 13 March 2026, Lufthansa has introduced a special flight schedule for both days. According to the airline, more than 50 percent of the originally planned flight programme will still operate. On long-haul routes, around 60 percent of services are expected to run.

The airline has taken several measures to maintain connectivity during the strike period, including deploying larger aircraft and receiving operational support from other airlines within the Lufthansa Group as well as partner carriers.

Priority is to maintain as many flights as possible

“Lufthansa's top priority is to get as many passengers as possible to their destinations despite the Vereinigung Cockpit strike call. I would therefore like to express my sincere thanks to the many pilots who have volunteered to work for us and will be on duty on Thursday and Friday,” said Francesco Sciortino, Hub Manager Frankfurt and Accountable Manager Lufthansa Airlines.

Several flights to and from Frankfurt and Munich will be operated by other Lufthansa Group airlines or partner carriers. On selected routes, larger aircraft will also be deployed to increase available capacity and transport more passengers.

Cargo operations largely maintained

Despite the strike action, Lufthansa Cargo expects to operate more than 80 percent of its planned cargo flight programme for Thursday and Friday. Only around 20 percent of the originally scheduled freight flights will need to be cancelled.

The Vereinigung Cockpit union has also announced that flights to the Middle East will be exempt from the strike due to the current geopolitical situation. During the strike period, this affects a flight scheduled to operate from Frankfurt to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Different impact across Lufthansa Group airlines

Lufthansa City Airlines plans to operate all flights scheduled for Thursday and Friday. Lufthansa CityLine, which is also affected by the strike on Thursday, expects to resume almost its full flight programme on Friday.

Passengers asked to check flight status

Customers whose flights are affected will be notified directly by email. Passengers who do not receive a notification can initially assume that their flight will operate as planned.

Lufthansa also advises travellers to verify that their contact details are up to date and to check their current flight status via the Lufthansa website or the Lufthansa app. Passengers who booked through a travel agency are encouraged to contact their agency directly for further information.