For the 13th time in the past year and one-half, pilots of the Vereinigung Cockpit Union are on strike against Lufthansa. However, the carrier said on its website that Lufthansa Cargo is able to keep its flight operations running as usual.
The strike will affect long-haul passenger flights, but the carrier said all freighter flights for Sept. 8 and 9 will operate as scheduled. The majority of scheduled passenger services will be operated, the company said, despite VC’s strike.
The pilots are unhappy with early retirement plans, cost cutting and reductions in crew wages. Lufthansa wants to eliminate an arrangement where pilots could retire at age 55 and receive up to 60 percent of their pay until they reached the statutory retirement age of 65. Pilots are also concerned about Lufthansa’s attempt to compete with low-cost airlines, such as Ryanair. The March crash of a Germanwings aircraft, Lufthansa’s own low-cost carrier, delayed the strike.
A new cargo center for Lufthansa, which was to be built in Frankfurt and called the LCCneo, is on hold for at least two years. Lufthansa staff worldwide said they will do their utmost to keep the inconvenience from the strike to a minimum.