As Lufthansa made it clear in a press release from Tuesday, the cancellation of most of their flights in Germany due to strike action came about on Wednesday.
As of press time, according to airline Ver.di, a labor strike has caused major problems at major Frankfurt and Munich hubs during peak travel season, resulting in cancellation of an entire flight schedule for Wednesday.
In preparation for the summer holiday season, the airline said it was already dealing with increased pressure, working to make flight schedules happen after earlier strike activity. Lufthansa warned that Wednesday’s strike may still lead to individual flight cancellations or delays on Thursday and Friday.
According to Lufthansa, of Frankfurt Airport’s 678 canceled flights, 32 of them will be cancelled on Tuesday and 646 on Wednesday. There will be an estimated 92,000 passengers affected.
Within the Munich hub, a total of 345 flights will have to be canceled, including 15 on Tuesday and 330 on Wednesday. This equates to an estimated 42,000 passengers, who are subject to be affected.
According to Lufthansa, Germany’s flag carrier, rebooking capacity for passengers who have been affected by cancellations is very limited.
Ver.di is requesting a 9.5% wage increase for Lufthansa’s ground staff, with an increase of at least €350 ($368) per month for 12 months. The union says staff are overworked due to staff shortages, high inflation, and a three-year wage freeze.
The chief human resources officer and labor director of Deutsche Lufthansa AG said that the strikes were causing enormous damage.
Lufthansa had offered very significant pay increases over the next 12 months, he said, adding that the strike action is no longer reasonable in proportion.
Union officials say the strike will begin at 3:45 a.m. local time (9:45 p.m. ET) on Wednesday and end at 6 a.m. local time (midnight ET) on Thursday.
