Flights cancelled due to Lufthansa strike on February 20th

Lufthansa and its subsidiary, Discover Airlines, strike between February 17th and 21st, leading to flight cancellations at German airports and beyond.

Why is Lufthansa striking?

Following several strikes in Germany’s transport sector, the ongoing disagreements between unions and major corporations, like Lufthansa, remain tense. The German trade union, Ver.di is applying pressure on the airline to improve working conditions and is demanding significant wage increases as well as premiums to offset inflation. Since the beginning of the year, they have been asking for a 12.5% salary increase, or at least, an additional €500 per month for nearly 25,000 employees working across major German airports.

When is Lufthansa striking?

Ver.di, the same union which led the previous 27-hour Lufthansa strike from February 7th, announced another major Lufthansa ground staff strike set to commence at 4 a.m. on Tuesday, February 20th and last until 7:10 a.m. the following day.

Who will be striking?

Lufthansa ground staff are confirmed to strike and a 4 hour strike from Lufthansa pilots who support the cause is also guaranteed. The Lufthansa pilot strike will specifically affect Boeing 787 aircrafts, which the airline has five of. Ver.di has urged all ground employees of Lufthansa, from maintenance workers to passenger and aircraft handlers, to participate. Lufthansa subsidiary, Discover Airlines, is also simultaneously striking for their own workers’ rights disputes.

Why is Lufthansa subsidiary, Discover Airlines, striking?

Discover Airlines, previously known as Eurowings Discover, is also currently on strike for a separate labour conflict, causing flight cancellations primarily at Frankfurt and Munich airports. The Cockpit union, representing Discover's pilots, is advocating for an initial collective labour agreement for the relatively small airline. The strike, which began over the weekend and is predicted to end today, has disrupted a significant portion of Discover's scheduled flights and inconvenienced thousands of passengers.

Which airports will be affected by the Lufthansa strike?

Lufthansa being one of Germany’s biggest airlines, it operates in important airports including Frankfurt, Munich, Hamburg, Berlin, Düsseldorf, Cologne-Bonn, and Stuttgart. The previous strike from February said to have affected over 100,000 passengers, and this upcoming strike promises similar impacts.

What should I do if my Lufthansa flight was cancelled because of the strike?

Because thousands of Lufthansa and Discover Airlines passengers will be affected by cancellations in the upcoming days, Lufthansa is offering passengers the possibility to change their tickets into Deutsche Bahn train tickets free of charge. More importantly, passengers must remember that the EU261, the legislation outlining European air passenger rights, protects your right to compensation in the event of a flight cancelled or disrupted due to these strikes.

Claiming compensation for my cancelled Lufthansa flight

The flight disruptions and cancellations occurring because of this strike can be directly attributed to Lufthansa’s administration. Because of this, all affected passengers are entitled to flight compensation ranging from £220 to £520!

As the strikes persist, passengers are advised to monitor flight statuses and make alternative arrangements where necessary, while industry stakeholders continue efforts to reach a resolution and mitigate the impact on travellers and the aviation sector at large.