Lufthansa One-Day Strike on Thursday to Affect Thousands of Travelers

Lufthansa has announced that two major labor unions, the pilots' association Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) and the cabin crew union UFO, have called a one-day strike at very short notice. The industrial action is scheduled for Thursday, 12 February 2026, and is expected to disrupt operations across the airline’s core network.

Why pilots and cabin crew are walking out

The strike actions stem from separate but simultaneous labor disputes. Lufthansa pilots, represented by VC, are protesting in order to secure improvements to company pension arrangements. At the same time, the UFO union, which represents cabin crew members, is using the strike to push for progress in ongoing negotiations over several collective labor agreements. According to UFO, talks with the airline have stalled, particularly on central topics related to working conditions, which prompted the decision to escalate with a work stoppage.

Flights and operations most affected

The pilots’ strike will impact flights operated under Lufthansa’s main brand as well as services flown by Lufthansa Cargo. Only departures from German airports are included in the action, but due to aircraft rotations and network dependencies, knock-on effects are expected throughout the system.

Flights operated by Austrian Airlines (OS), Brussels Airlines (SN), Eurowings (EW), SWISS (LX), Air Dolomiti (EN), Discover Airlines (4Y), Edelweiss (WK), and Lufthansa City Airlines (VL) are expected to run as planned, as their crews are not part of this labor action.

Lufthansa has described the short-notice announcements as excessive and has urged both unions to return to the negotiating table instead of continuing with industrial measures.

Passenger disruption and rebooking options

Lufthansa anticipates widespread cancellations across its global route network during the full day of the strike. The disruption could affect tens of thousands of travelers whose journeys are scheduled for that date. The airline stated that passengers whose flights are canceled will be able to rebook their tickets once free of charge or choose a full refund.

Lufthansa is also advising customers to verify their flight status before traveling to the airport.

To understand how airline strikes unfold and learn what usually triggers them, read our detailed explainer.