The first day of the Lufthansa pilot strike was more effective than the industrial action in March, according to figures from the Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) union. A total of approximately 860 flights were cancelled at Lufthansa, its regional subsidiary Cityline, and leisure carrier Eurowings, the VC announced on Tuesday. Eurowings accounted for 200 of these cancellations. Regarding the flights targeted by the strike, 84 percent were unable to operate, compared to 80 percent during the previous walkout in mid-March. The VC interprets this as a higher level of participation among pilots in the collective bargaining dispute over improved pension benefits.

Pilots are continuing their strike on Tuesday. On Wednesday and Thursday, flight attendants at Lufthansa and Cityline have been called to industrial action by their union, UFO, in a bid to secure better working conditions. Following their strike last Friday, the airline will have been effectively paralyzed for five consecutive days.

The airport association ADV criticized the scale of the industrial action, noting that it affects hundreds of thousands of travelers and large sectors of the German economy. "Thousands of cancelled flights lead to losses in the millions within a very short time - with direct impacts on airport operators, service providers, and employees," the association stated. ADV head Ralph Beisel reiterated the call for restrictions on the right to strike in the aviation sector, given that many uninvolved third parties are affected. "The federal government is called upon to ensure a balance between collective bargaining autonomy and the public interest."

(Report by Ilona Wissenbach, edited by Ralf Banser. For inquiries, please contact the editorial management at frankfurt.newsroom@thomsonreuters.com)