LUFTHANSA-STRIKE Pilot strike grounds half of long-haul flights at Lufthansa

Record ID: 341882

  • Title: LUFTHANSA-STRIKE Pilot strike grounds half of long-haul flights at Lufthansa
  • Date: 4th December 2014
  • Summary: FRANKFURT, GERMANY (DECEMBER 4, 2014) (REUTERS) EMPTY TARMAC AT FRANKFURT AIRPORT LUFTHANSA SIGN PLANE AT GATE INTERIOR - PASSENGERS ARRIVING DEPARTURES BOARD SHOWING CANCELLED FLIGHTS SLEEPING PASSENGERS DEPARTURES BOARD SHOWING 'ANNULLIERT' (CANCELLED) LUFTHANSA SIGN WITH DEPARTURES BOARD IN BACKGROUND PASSENGER LOOKING AT DEPARTURES BOARD DEPARTURES BOARD PASSENGER LOOKING AT PAPERWORK DEPARTURES BOARD CHECK-IN DESKS VARIOUS DEPARTURES BOARD (SOUNDBITE) (German) PASSENGER, JOERG LEHR, SAYING: "Of course, it is not that pleasant for the customer and there is the question of proportionality in terms what is actually being demanded by the unions, the way they are going about it and the impact on the passengers. Thus far, I don't think it's that great." (SOUNDBITE) (German) PASSENGER, MR [FIRST NAME NOT GIVEN] SCHUMACHER, SAYING: "All the money that has been lost so far could have been spend somewhere else." (SOUNDBITE) (German) PASSENGER [NAME NOT GIVEN] SAYING: "Well, they are still among the ones that earn the most, so there isn't that great a hardship." LUFTHANSA CHECK-IN DESKS SIGN READING (German and English) "DEPARTURE HALLS" PASSENGERS AT SELF-SERVICE CHECK-IN VARIOUS PASSENGERS IN DEPARTURE HALL
  • Embargoed: 19th December 2014 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Germany
  • Country: Germany
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVAD8WD8MM7YZ86O8C0DDYHS6PS5
  • Story Text: Pilots at Lufthansa started their second strike this week on Thursday (December 4), grounding about half of the German flagship carrier's scheduled long-haul flights, in a drawn-out dispute over an early retirement scheme.
    Pilots' union Vereinigung Cockpit (VC), representing about 5,400 Lufthansa pilots, is fighting to retain with no changes a scheme allowing pilots to retire at 55 and still receive up to 60 percent of their pay before regular pension payments start at 65.
    Lufthansa has said it would not accept a demand that new pilots, as well as those already with the company, should be able to retire at 55.
    It offered VC mediation on Wednesday (December 3) in hopes of resolving the dispute in time for the busy Christmas holiday season.
    The Germany-wide strike, the tenth this year, started at 02:00 GMT on Thursday and is to last until 22:59 GMT. It forced Lufthansa to cancel 37 long-haul flights and six cargo flights.
    The passengers, some of whom have to spend hours at the airport in order to find an alternative flight, were starting to lose patience.
    "Of course, it is not that pleasant for the customer and there is the question of proportionality in terms what is actually being demanded by the unions, the way they are going about it and the impact on the passengers," passenger Joerg Lehr said. Another passenger added: "All the money that has been lost so far could have been spend somewhere else."
    Domestic and European routes, as well as flights of Lufthansa's units like Germanwings, Austrian Airlines and SWISS are not affected.
    Industrial action in Lufthansa's dispute with the pilots has already wiped 160 million euros ($200 million) off the airline's operating profit this year, not including this week's two walkouts.
    Lufthansa's board on Wednesday approved plans to expand its low-cost operations as it battles to compete with budget carriers such as Ryanair and easyJet and Gulf operators including Emirates, Etihad and Qatar.
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