Lufthansa flight attendants call new two-day strike in Germany

Another round of travel headaches are expected in Germany this week as Lufthansa’s cabin crew union has called on its members to strike, as well as short-haul carrier CityLine, on Tuesday and Wednesday (March 12 and 13) to press their demands for higher pay, Reuters reports. 

The UFO union of flight attendants says the strike would impact departures from Frankfurt airport on Tuesday and departures from Munich on Wednesday. Lufthansa says about 100,000 passengers will likely be affected.

The airline group warned last week that operating losses in the first quarter will widen as it copes this year with costly labour disputes.

Europe’s airlines have benefited from strong demand since the pandemic, allowing them to raise prices, but higher labour and maintenance costs have stalled this growth.

Lufthansa has agreed to new, higher pay rate to end strikes, which experts say threaten its 2024 targets.

Last week, Lufthansa’s ground staff walked off the job, forcing the carrier to operate just 10 per cent to 20 per cent of its schedule.

The move coincided with another walkout that was happening at rail operator Deutsche Bahn, impacting millions of travellers. 

The country’s long-distance and regional rail network came to a halt as train drivers began a 35-hour strike over their pay rate.

It's the latest in a series of strikes that have disrupted Germany's transportation sector.

Last month, security staff at the country’s biggest airports took job action following unsuccessful pay negotiations, a move that grounded flights at German airports, including Frankfurt, a global hub.

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