German carrier Lufthansa is grappling with more disruptive labor action after its pilots announced a 48-hour walkout starting Monday. Pilot union Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) has organized a strike from Monday, April 13, through to midnight on Tuesday, April 14, affecting the vast majority of Lufthansa’s schedule.

The majority of Lufthansa flights are expected to be canceled across the two-day period, with the carrier given under 48 hours’ notice from the strike announcement. This walkout follows a two-day pilot strike in March and a recent flight attendant strike on Friday, April 10.

Lufthansa Pilots Call Strike On Monday And Tuesday

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Yet another strike will significantly impact Lufthansa Group’s operations, with the short-notice walkout covering pilots at mainline Lufthansa, Lufthansa Cargo, short-haul division Lufthansa CityLine and low-cost subsidiary Eurowings, although pilots from Eurowings will participate in the strike on Monday only. Lufthansa’s two primary hubs — Frankfurt Airport (FRA) and Munich Airport (MUC) — will bear the brunt of the disruption, with more than 500 flight cancellations and over 50,000 passengers affected so far.

Pilot union VC called the strike after claiming Lufthansa management “showed no discernible willingness to find a solution” over ongoing wage disputes, despite the union backing up its promise not to strike over the busy Easter travel season. According to VC, Lufthansa has not tabled a new company pension scheme offer, while Lufthansa CityLine has failed to make a viable offer for a new contract, and Eurowings’ pension scheme was deemed “such a low level that it hardly deserves the name.” VC President Andreas Pinheiro commented,

“Despite a deliberate decision to refrain from strike action over the Easter holidays, no serious offers were forthcoming. During this time, there was neither a response nor any discernible willingness to negotiate on the part of the employers.”

Strike Impact On Passengers

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According to Euronews, over 50,000 passengers have been affected thus far as Lufthansa proactively cancels flights ahead of the walkout. Friday’s flight attendant walkout is believed to have impacted as many as 100,000 passengers and forced around 600 flight cancellations, and a similar level of disruption is expected on Monday and Tuesday.

Flight cancellations and disruptions are expected across the entire networks of Lufthansa, Lufthansa CityLine and Eurowings, although the airline group has given priority to its services to the Middle East. It is expected to continue flying to several destinations in the region, including Egypt, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. A full list of countries can be seen below:

Lufthansa said it is working hard to accommodate all affected passengers and is taking several steps to assist its customers. Passengers with affected tickets can rebook for free on services between April 11 and April 21, while full refunds or Deutsche Bahn train tickets are offered as alternatives. The airline is also rebooking customers to other Lufthansa Group airlines, such as Austrian Airlines and SWISS, but available capacity is limited.

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Major Disruption: Lufthansa’s Operations To Be Hit By Two-Pronged Strike Action Tomorrow

The industrial action is also set to hit the carrier’s cargo and regional divisions.

A Summer Of Disruption Ahead?

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Lufthansa is still reeling from a flight attendant strike that took place ahead of the weekend, when approximately 20,000 cabin crew walked out on Friday, leading to hundreds of flights being canceled at key Lufthansa airports. This followed a two-day pilot strike on March 12 and 13, and with no settlement reached between Lufthansa and its flight crew, the likelihood of further industrial action during the summer is high.

In response to the strike, Lufthansa branded the union’s demand to double the worth of “an already above-average” pension scheme as “absurd and unachievable.” On top of pension demands, the airline group is facing multiple problems with its pilots, with Lufthansa CityLine pilots disgruntled over pay and benefits, while Eurowings pilots have their own pension dispute. Although there are still several weeks ahead for negotiations to progress, all parties involved appear miles apart in their expectations.