Lufthansa has cancelled more than 1,300 flights scheduled for Friday, the 17th of February, including all flights at its Frankfurt and Munich hubs due to strikes. Meanwhile, about 50% of arrivals to each and every German transportation hub have been cancelled.
An estimated 150,000 passengers will be affected by the strike announced by the German trade union Verdi. The union had urged workers at airports in Frankfurt, Munich, Stuttgart, Hamburg, Dortmund, Hanover, and Bremen to take part in the 24-hour strike, citing negligible advancement in collective bargaining negotiations.
Consequently, several other airlines have also been affected by the strike, including those operating in and out of Frankfurt and Munich. Outside Lufthansa Group airlines, the most affected airlines, by the number of cancelled flights are:
- KLM: 43 Flights
- Turkish Airlines: 37 Flights
- British Airways: 37 Flights
- Air France: 34 Flights
- United Airlines: 23 Flights
- LOT Polish Airlines: 17 Flights
“We regret the enormous impact of this warning strike which is being carried out at the expense of our passengers. We are not a party to the collective bargaining and have no influence on it – nevertheless, our guests and we are massively affected,” said Michael Niggemann, Member of the Executive Board and Chief Officer of Human Resources & Infrastructure Lufthansa Group.
“More than 1,300 flight cancellations for Lufthansa Group airlines alone show once again how vulnerable and fragile the air transport system is to strike activity.”
Michael Niggemann, Lufthansa Group
Moreover, Lufthansa has already notified affected passengers and is providing alternative connections and rebooking them on rail wherever possible. Passengers are advised to check the status of their flight early on the airlines’ website and the Lufthansa app.
Lufthansa anticipates that regular flight operations will be largely restored as early as Saturday, February 18th 2023. Nevertheless, the impacts of this strike may still lead to individual flight cancellations or delays this Saturday and Sunday.
Know Your Rights
In case you have travel insurance yourself or through a credit card this might be the time to consult the fine print and see how it would cover you in case of trip interruption or cancellation. Be aware that many insurance providers might consider a strike as a force majeure.
The European Regulation EC261 rule is a legislation that requires airlines such as Lufthansa to compensate passengers in the event of:
- Denied boarding
- Flight cancellation
- Long delay of flights (three or more hours)
Under EC261 you may be eligible for compensation up to EUR 600 if your flight is delayed by more than 3 hours or gets cancelled. AirHelp helps air passengers around the world secure compensation for delayed, cancelled, or overbooked flights.
How to File a Claim?
AirHelp can help you if you have a flight disruption within the EU (on any airline), leaving the EU (on any airline) or arriving in the EU (on an EU airline).
AirHelp can help you to determine whether you’re eligible for compensation and claims through the easy 1-2-3 steps on their website.
Yesterday, the German carrier also faced a major IT outage due to damaged fibre optic cables which temporarily impacted its flight operations.
Feature Image: Oliver Roesler via Lufthansa