A barrier tape of German airline Lufthansa is seen at Munich airport October 20, 2014.MICHAELA REHLE/Reuters
Deutsche Lufthansa AG said the longest strike campaign in its history will ground more than 1,500 flights today and tomorrow and affect more than 160,000 passengers as its pilots escalate their protest.
Cockpit crews stopped working from 1 p.m. local time today and will continue the action until 11:59 p.m. tomorrow, according to Vereinigung Cockpit union. Cologne, Germany-based Lufthansa said the walkout will ground around 1,450 short-haul flights and also some of its 180 daily intercontinental services after the union extended the action to include long-haul operations tomorrow.
Lufthansa has already canceled thousands of flights because of strikes this year, including 3,800 over three days in April, driving management to cut earnings forecasts in June. The airline aims to operate about one-third, or 700, of its short– haul connections over the next two days using volunteer and management pilots, spokesman Martin Riecken said.
The action is "not understandable and in no way proportionate," Lufthansa said in a statement yesterday.
Vereinigung Cockpit wants the carrier to reinstate benefits withdrawn last year that were paid to flight crew retiring before they receive state pension. Lufthansa wants to raise the earliest possible retirement age to 60 years from 55 as part of a wider cost-cutting and productivity program.
Grounded Jumbos "Lufthansa insists on its maximum demands and has shown absolutely no willingness to compromise," Joerg Handwerg, a spokesman for the union, said yesterday by phone. Pilots are ready to stage further walkouts beyond this week, he said.
Long-haul walkouts planned for tomorrow will affect Airbus Group NV A380, A340 and A330 aircraft together with Boeing Co. 747 flights, the union said today in a statement on its website. Lufthansa was forced to scrap 58 long-haul flights when pilots refused to fly on Sept. 30.
Lufthansa shares fell 0.3 per cent to 11.63 euros at 3:50 p.m. in Frankfurt. The stock has retreated 25 per cent this year, valuing the carrier at €5.38-billion ($6.87-billion)
Train travel in Germany was also disrupted by strike action last week and into the weekend. Other Lufthansa Group carriers including Swiss, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Air Dolomiti and Germanwings – which scrapped 46 flights last week – aren't affected.