Due to scheduled pilot strike action, German airline Lufthansa says it is cancelling practically all passenger and freight flights from its two major hubs, Frankfurt and Munich, on Friday.
After management rejected their requests for a salary hike, the union that represents Lufthansa pilots announced early on Thursday that the employees would organise a walkout.
Many people returning at the conclusion of the summer vacation would be impacted by Lufthansa’s announcement that 800 flights will be cancelled.
Eurowings, the airline’s low-cost carrier, will not be impacted, it said.
Lufthansa was accused by the Union Vereinigung Cockpit on Thursday of failing to improve upon the company’s first offer, forcing the pilots to strike in order to pursue their demands.
According to Lufthansa, the airline provided a one-time raise of 900 euros ($900), which amounted to an 18% raise for those just entering the field and a 5% raise for veteran pilots.
The union had demanded a 5.5% hike this year and a 2023 automatic boost over inflation.
Additionally, the airline said that the new pay and vacation structure sought by the pilots would push up employment expenses by 40%, or around €900 million, over the course of two years.
As COVID-19 expanded in 2020 and 2021, when airline operations came to a virtual halt, several carriers offered early retirement to thousands of pilots in an attempt to save expenses, creating a global pilot shortage for airlines.
A large number of senior pilots have also retired as planned due to an ageing workforce, thus lowering the number of available passengers.