Germany’s aviation network was plunged into disarray on Thursday, 12 February 2026, as a coordinated 24 hour strike by Lufthansa pilots and cabin crew forced the cancellation of hundreds of flights and brought large parts of the airline’s schedule to a standstill. With nearly 800 flights grounded and around 100,000 passengers affected, the walkout represents one of the most disruptive labor actions in the carrier’s recent history, rippling across Europe and beyond and leaving travelers scrambling for alternatives.
How the Lufthansa Strike Unfolded Today
The industrial action began just after midnight, at 00:01 on Thursday, and is set to run until 23:59 local time on 12 February 2026. Throughout the day, departure boards at major German hubs such as Frankfurt, Munich and Berlin showed rows of cancellations for Lufthansa’s core brand and its cargo arm, Lufthansa Cargo. Regional flights operated by the subsidiary Lufthansa CityLine have also been hit, compounding the disruption.
Lufthansa confirmed that close to 800 flights across Germany were cancelled, impacting the journeys of approximately 100,000 booked passengers. At Frankfurt, the airline’s largest hub, around 450 of more than 1,100 planned departures were scrapped, while in Munich roughly 275 of about 920 scheduled services did not take off. Many long haul connections to North America, Asia and the Middle East were among those affected, along with key European links.
As the scale of the disruption became clear on Thursday morning, long lines formed at Lufthansa check in and service counters, particularly at Frankfurt Airport, where travelers sought rebooking options or information about compensation and overnight accommodation. Airport authorities and the airline urged passengers to avoid coming to the terminals unless they had verified online that their flight was operating as scheduled.
What Pilots and Cabin Crew Are Fighting For
The all out strike is driven by two separate, but closely linked, labor disputes. Pilots at Lufthansa and Lufthansa Cargo, represented by the Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) union, are striking over the company’s pension system and retirement benefits. The union argues that changes implemented or proposed by management would erode long standing entitlements and undermine financial security for flight crews who often face early retirement due to the nature of their work.
In parallel, cabin crew organized by the UFO union have launched a warning strike over a broader package of issues. While pay and overall working conditions play a central role, a particularly sensitive flashpoint is the future of Lufthansa CityLine. Management has announced plans to phase out the existing structure of this regional carrier and migrate operations and staff to a new subsidiary as part of a cost cutting drive. UFO has pressed for a binding social plan to protect affected employees, a demand the union says management has so far refused to seriously negotiate.
Union representatives stress that Thursday’s coordinated action is a last resort following months of talks that have failed to produce a compromise. VC leaders have warned that without a substantially improved offer on pensions, further strikes cannot be ruled out in the coming weeks. UFO officials, for their part, describe the walkout as a necessary signal to force management back to the bargaining table with concrete, enforceable guarantees on job security and conditions.
Lufthansa’s Response and the Broader Cost Cutting Battle
Lufthansa’s leadership has publicly condemned the strike as excessive, arguing that a one day standstill across its German operations inflicts what it calls an extremely harsh and disproportionate impact on passengers. The company insists it remains open to dialogue, but has framed the disputes within a wider struggle to keep its cost base competitive in a European market defined by aggressive low cost carriers and pressure from Gulf and Asian airlines.
The group has been in restructuring mode for several years, responding to debt accumulated during the pandemic and to profitability levels that lag key rivals. Management announced plans to cut around 4,000 jobs, or roughly 4 percent of the workforce, and to reconfigure short and medium haul operations under new or leaner subsidiaries. The overhaul of pension schemes and the reshaping of Lufthansa CityLine are central components of this strategy, but they have become lightning rods for employee anger.
Lufthansa argues that the existing pension commitments for pilots are unsustainable over the long term and that reforms are necessary to protect the company’s financial health and safeguard future jobs. Unions counter that the carrier has returned to solid profits and can afford to maintain fair retirement benefits while still investing in its fleet and network. The clash over CityLine follows a similar pattern, with management emphasizing flexibility and lower operating costs, and unions warning of a race to the bottom in wages and conditions.
Airports, Routes and Passengers Most Affected
The heart of Thursday’s disruption is Germany’s two main hubs, Frankfurt and Munich, where Lufthansa traditionally controls a dominant share of traffic. At both airports, the majority of the airline’s flights were cancelled, leaving travelers stranded in connecting banks of long haul and European services. Ripple effects have also been felt in Berlin, Hamburg, Düsseldorf and other regional airports where Lufthansa and CityLine operate feeder flights.
On the international front, routes between Germany and major European capitals such as London, Paris, Rome and Madrid saw widespread cancellations. Several services linking Frankfurt and Munich with key North American destinations, including New York, Chicago and Toronto, also disappeared from departure boards for the day. Travelers in the United Kingdom and Ireland were among those hit, with multiple Lufthansa flights between Frankfurt and airports such as London Heathrow, Manchester and Birmingham cancelled at short notice.
While airlines within the broader Lufthansa Group, including Swiss, Austrian Airlines and Brussels Airlines, are continuing to operate, their capacity is limited relative to the number of disrupted passengers. Low cost carriers and other European airlines not involved in the dispute, such as Ryanair, EasyJet and Condor, have seen a surge in demand from travelers seeking last minute alternatives, driving up fares on some routes and adding to congestion at already busy terminals.
What Impacted Travelers Need To Know Right Now
For passengers booked on Lufthansa services departing on 12 February 2026, the single most important step is to check the status of your flight on the airline’s digital channels before heading to the airport. Lufthansa is automatically rebooking affected customers where possible, typically sending updated itineraries by email or through its app. Many passengers are being moved onto flights operated by other Lufthansa Group carriers or re routed via alternative hubs.
On domestic German routes, the airline is offering the option to switch to rail travel. Passengers whose flights are cancelled can often use their tickets to travel on the national rail network, providing a practical alternative between major cities such as Frankfurt, Munich, Berlin and Hamburg. At the airport, staff are prioritizing same day rebookings and assistance for travelers with limited flexibility, such as those with onward long haul connections or urgent travel needs.
Nevertheless, given the scale of the walkout, not everyone will find an immediate solution. Travelers should prepare for extended waits at service counters, potential overnight stays and the need to arrange new accommodation if they are stuck mid journey. Keeping receipts for meals, hotels and ground transport will be important later when filing claims for reimbursement or compensation under European passenger rights rules.
Your Rights Under EU261 and How Compensation Works
Because Thursday’s disruption is the result of an internal labor dispute at Lufthansa rather than external events such as extreme weather or air traffic control failures, it generally falls under airline responsibility in the context of European passenger rights regulations. Under EU261, travelers on affected flights may be entitled to both a refund or rerouting and, in many cases, additional financial compensation depending on the length of delay and the distance of the itinerary.
In broad terms, if your flight was cancelled at short notice or if you arrive at your final destination more than three hours later than scheduled, you may qualify for a compensation payment. The amounts are typically calculated based on the distance of the trip, with caps for short, medium and long haul journeys. These rights apply to all flights departing from European Union airports, as well as to flights operated by European carriers arriving from outside the bloc.
Beyond cash compensation, Lufthansa has what is known as a duty of care toward stranded passengers. This includes providing meals and refreshments appropriate to the waiting time, offering hotel accommodation and transport between the airport and the hotel when an overnight stay becomes necessary, and facilitating two free communications such as phone calls or emails. Travelers should proactively request this support at the airport if it is not immediately offered.
Practical Tips for Managing the Disruption
For travelers still to fly on 12 February or in the immediate aftermath, preparation and flexibility will be essential. Start by using digital tools: monitor your booking through Lufthansa’s app or website, ensure your contact details are up to date, and opt in to notifications so you receive rebooking offers or gate changes as quickly as possible. If your flight shows as cancelled, explore self service rebooking options online before calling contact centers, which are likely to be overloaded.
If you are already at an airport, look for Lufthansa service desks dedicated to the strike and, where available, information points run by airport authorities. Arriving early can help, but during mass disruptions, patience is equally important. When speaking to staff, have alternative routes in mind, including connections through other European hubs or a switch to rail for short haul segments within Germany.
For those with upcoming trips in the next few days, keep a close eye on developments even if your flight is not scheduled during the official strike window. While Lufthansa expects to resume a largely normal schedule on Friday, 13 February, aircraft and crew will not always be in the right place, which can trigger follow on delays and isolated cancellations. Build extra time into connections and consider travel insurance with trip interruption coverage if you are planning complex itineraries.
What This Strike Means for Future Travel on Lufthansa
Thursday’s strike underscores the depth of tensions between Lufthansa and its flying staff over how the airline should adapt to a post pandemic marketplace. For travelers, it is a reminder that while aviation has largely recovered in terms of demand, labor relations remain fragile across Europe, with pilots, cabin crew, ground handlers and air traffic controllers all pushing back against cost cutting measures and high inflation.
For Lufthansa specifically, the outcome of current negotiations on pensions and the restructuring of regional operations will shape the stability of its schedule in the months ahead. A compromise that satisfies unions on job security and retirement benefits could deliver a period of calmer operations and rebuild traveler confidence. A prolonged standoff, by contrast, risks further waves of disruption at some of Europe’s busiest hubs.
In the short term, passengers can take some reassurance from the airline’s commitment to restoring a normal program by Friday and from the strong passenger rights framework that applies within Europe. Yet as Thursday’s scenes at Frankfurt and Munich show, even a 24 hour strike can cause travel plans to unravel quickly. For anyone booking with Lufthansa or through its German hubs, staying informed, planning for contingencies and understanding your rights has never been more important.