An Airbus A330 operated by Lufthansa from Frankfurt, Germany, arrives at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport in this July 2014 photo. (Terry Maxon/DMN)
Lufthansa has cancelled its flight from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport to Frankfurt, Germany, on Monday afternoon, as well as the return flight Tuesday from Frankfurt to DFW.
The union for Lufthansa pilots, Vereinigung Cockpit, had announced strikes to affect much of its short-haul and medium-haul service. But on Monday, it expanded the latest job action to most of Lufthansa’s intercontinental flights like the Frankfurt-DFW route.
Lufthansa will allow passengers affected by the strike to rebook on alternative flights without any charge.
In a statement, the union said it has been unable to get a new collective agreement for cockpit crews, and said it “regrets the inconvenience to passengers” and called on Lufthansa to come to an agreement.
A key part of the dispute is over the issue of early retirement and Lufthansa’s efforts to delay eligibility for early retirement.
Simone Menne, Lufthansa’s chief officer of finances and aviation services, said the strikes “not only cause severe economic damage to Lufthansa, but they also harm its reputation, with considerable consequences for our company and employees that remain unforeseeable even today.”
“Why the Vereinigung Cockpit pilots’ union is blocking a solution to the collective bargaining conflict without compromise, is no longer comprehensible. This is despite the fact that all the other groups of employees have made a constructive contribution to Lufthansa’s success in the future. Our investors expect sustainable and competitive structures across all areas. This also applies to retirement and transitional benefits,” Menne said in Lufthansa’s statement.