Thousands of Lufthansa flights cancelled, Vienna-Munich route included in the disruption
In a significant development, the ongoing strike by Lufthansa cabin crew has been reported to be affecting only the airline's own flights and not those operated by its subsidiaries such as Austrian Airlines, Air Dolomiti, and Brussels Airlines.
The French air traffic control strike, which has caused widespread cancellations and delays affecting many airlines operating in Europe, is separate from Lufthansa cabin crew industrial actions.
The strike, initiated by the UFO union, has led to the cancellation of 1,300 flights, affecting approximately 180,000 passengers. Munich and Frankfurt airports will be most impacted, with 6 and 7 affected flights respectively, both ways.
However, it is important to note that numerous flights of non-striking subsidiaries, including Eurowings, Germanwings, Sunexpress, Lufthansa Cityline, Swiss, Edelweiss, and AUA, are not on strike. AUA, in fact, has announced that it will deploy larger aircraft on Thursday and Friday to help Lufthansa.
The UFO union has reserved the right to expand the strike to other flight operations of Lufthansa. The collective bargaining conflict is mainly about whether UFO can still enforce collective agreements for cabin staff. The union has demanded immediate collective bargaining talks on equal terms with the current board, while Lufthansa has offered immediate preliminary talks on tariff issues.
It is worth noting that there are separate collective bargaining demands for each of these airlines. Lufthansa has suffered a legal defeat at the Frankfurt Regional Labor Court but plans to appeal to the Higher Labor Court. The Higher Labor Court had not yet set a date for the second court hearing on the legality of the UFO union's strike.
Passengers who have booked a flight on Thursday or Friday can change to another flight within the group within the next ten days free of charge. Lufthansa has threatened an expansion to four more German airlines of the group, including Eurowings, in response to the strike.
Despite the ongoing industrial action, Lufthansa continues to operate flights as smoothly as possible, and passengers are advised to check their flight status regularly. The airline is legally challenging the strikes in court, demonstrating its commitment to resolving the conflict in a fair and legal manner.
Travelers booking flights on Thursday or Friday with Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, Air Dolomiti, or Brussels Airlines might encounter disruptions due to the ongoing strike by the UFO union, as the strike primarily affects Lufthansa's own flights. Meanwhile, sports fans planning a getaway could consider booking with non-striking subsidiaries like Eurowings, Germanwings, Sunexpress, Lufthansa Cityline, Swiss, Edelweiss, AUA, or even AUA's larger aircraft, which have been reported to help alleviate some of the strain during the strike, offering an alternative travel option for those seeking a change in their lifestyle, including travel.
