Lufthansa Warns 90% Flights Set To Be Cancelled, Affecting More Than 100,000 Passengers

Lufthansa has sent out a massive warning to its customers stating that 90% of its flights are set to be cancelled this week.

The flag carrier of Germany has announced it is going to face "extensive" problems with flights with nearly 25,000 ground staff set to walk out of airports on strike. Lufthansa's ground staff are represented by the Vereinigte Dienstleistungsgewerkschaft (Ver.di), the second-largest trade union in Germany. The union has announced that the strike will begin at 4 AM on Wednesday and will go on till 7: 10 AM on Thursday, lasting 27 hours.

Germany, Europe's largest economy, has faced a series of nationwide strikes impacting rail, air and public transportation over the years. The latest industrial action will affect flights to and from several airports in the country, including Frankfurt, Munich, Hamburg, Berlin, and Dusseldorf, with more than 100,000 people expected to be affected overall.

The German carrier took to social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, on Monday to inform its customers that only 10-20 per cent of flights will be able to take off on Wednesday.

"There will be extensive restrictions to the flight schedule on 7-8.02.2024. We currently assume that around 10 to 20 per cent of the flights will be possible on February 7.

"Guests who are affected by flight cancellations will be informed by email or via the app," wrote Lufthansa on X.

The airline also urged its passengers to avoid coming to the airport and instead check their flight details or rebook online.

"Please only come to the airport if your flight has not been cancelled. Due to the strike, the rebooking desks are unfortunately not staffed. Thank you for your understanding in this situation," added Lufthansa on X.

The ongoing strike results from a collapse in talks between the airline bosses and the union over a wage dispute.

It could certainly affect the travel plans of thousands of British travellers as Lufthansa flies to several UK airports, including London Heathrow, London Gatwick, London Stansted and London City. It also connects Germany and the UK outside London as it has routes to Bristol, Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Belfast. Lufthansa also has operations in Ireland, flying to Dublin and Cork.

What to do if a person is affected by the strike?

If a traveller's flight is cancelled, they must either receive a refund or be put on the next available flight. The flight need not be with the same airline, they can arrange for their passenger to fly with another carrier.

Meanwhile, passengers are eligible to get compensation if their flight arrives more than three hours late and it's the airline's fault. Airlines must also provide food and drink and accommodation if the flight is delayed overnight.