Pilots at Lufthansa, Germany’s largest airline, began a two-day strike on the morning of March 12, 2026, triggering flight disruptions across the country’s major aviation hubs.
The industrial action is expected to affect operations at the airline’s key airports, including Munich Airport and Frankfurt Airport, where many cancellations and schedule changes are anticipated.
According to reports from Der Spiegel, the strike is part of an ongoing dispute between pilots and airline management over salary increases and pension conditions.
Long-haul flights most affected
Lufthansa has said it expects to operate at least half of its scheduled flights during the two days of strike action. However, long-haul routes are likely to be the most heavily impacted, with up to 60 percent of intercontinental flights potentially cancelled.
To limit disruption, the airline plans to deploy larger aircraft on certain routes, transfer passengers to flights operated by other airlines within the Lufthansa Group that are not affected by the strike, and use volunteer crews where possible.
Union expects around 300 cancellations per day
The strike was organized by the pilots’ union Vereinigung Cockpit. Union leader Andreas Pinheiro said the current action would be smaller in scale than the previous strike that took place a month earlier.
The union estimates that approximately 300 flights could be cancelled each day during the two-day protest. According to union representatives, the scale of the disruption is part of a broader negotiation strategy.
Earlier strike caused larger disruption
During the first wave of industrial action on February 12, roughly 800 flights were cancelled, more than double the number expected during the current strike.
That earlier strike also involved the cabin crew union UFO, which amplified the scale of the disruption across the airline’s network.
Passengers travelling through Germany during the strike period have been advised to check their flight status in advance, as schedule adjustments and cancellations may occur with limited notice while negotiations between the airline and unions continue.
