In short: there is 1 item to watch in Germany (see below). As of our last check, the Lufthansa pilots’ dispute was unresolved, with a mediation due to run until 15 November 2026. A strike by Lufthansa’s own pilots or cabin crew usually gives you €250–€600. A Verdi strike by airport or security staff is usually an extraordinary circumstance – no compensation, but a refund or re-routing and care are owed. Last checked: 10 November 2026.
Strikes in Germany
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No strike called yet – mediation runs until 15 November 2026
Lufthansa
Lufthansa pilots (Vereinigung Cockpit) watch
No strike has been announced. Arbitration ended without agreement in October and a wider mediation runs until 15 November. If no deal is reached, a strike may follow, which would hit Lufthansa flights including those via its Frankfurt and Munich hubs. This would be a strike by the airline’s own staff, so compensation may be due.
Airline’s own staff: compensation is usually due if your flight is cancelled at short notice or arrives 3+ hours late.
Sources: ad-hoc-news (23 Oct 2026), t-online (Oct 2026)
Who goes on strike in Germany
Lufthansa pilots (Vereinigung Cockpit)
The pilots’ union Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) represents pilots at Lufthansa, Lufthansa Cargo and other airlines. In 2026 a dispute over the pilots’ company pension scheme led to a series of strikes: a one-day strike on 12 February, a 48-hour strike on 12–13 March and further strikes on 13–14 and 16–17 April, the last also covering Lufthansa Cargo, CityLine and Eurowings. Each strike cancelled hundreds of flights.
The two sides then moved to arbitration, which ended without agreement in October 2026, and a wider mediation that runs until 15 November 2026. No new strike has been announced, but if the mediation fails, strikes could follow. Because pilots are Lufthansa’s own staff, a strike would normally give affected passengers a right to compensation.
Lufthansa cabin crew (UFO)
The cabin crew union UFO has its own disputes with Lufthansa Group airlines and has called strikes in the past, including in 2026. A cabin crew strike is also a strike by the airline’s own staff.
Airport, ground-handling and security staff (Verdi)
Verdi, the services union, represents many airport employees: ground handlers, airport operator staff and private aviation security screeners. When pay talks stall, Verdi calls warning strikes (Warnstreiks), sometimes at many airports at once. On 10 March 2025 a one-day Verdi strike at 13 German airports, including Frankfurt and Munich, brought most flights to a halt.
In April 2025 employers and Verdi accepted an arbitration result for ground-handling services that, according to Handelsblatt, rules out industrial action for two years – until March 2027. Security screeners negotiate separately with the aviation security employers’ association, so their disputes follow a different timetable.
Air traffic controllers
German air traffic control is provided by DFS, and controllers are represented by the GdF union. Controllers’ strikes in Germany are rare. Flights to and from Germany are more often affected by strikes in other countries – for example in France or Italy.
How German strikes are called
Germany has no strike statute. The rules come from court decisions, and they differ from those in France, Italy or Spain:
- No fixed notice period. Unions often announce warning strikes only one or two days in advance. Lufthansa crew strikes have been announced at similarly short notice.
- No statutory minimum service. Unions and employers sometimes agree an emergency service, and some flights – for example to certain destinations – may be exempted, but there are no fixed guaranteed time bands like Italy’s.
- Strikes only during open disputes. While a collective agreement is in force, there is a peace obligation, and courts can stop a strike they consider disproportionate. That is why the end date of an agreement (such as March 2027 for ground handling) is a useful early warning.
Where to check: your airline’s app and e-mails, the airport’s website (Frankfurt, Munich, Berlin, Hamburg and others publish strike information), and announcements by Verdi, Vereinigung Cockpit and UFO.
Your rights during a German strike
Flights from Germany are covered by EU261 whatever the airline; flights from the UK to Germany by UK261; flights from Germany to the UK by EU261.
| Who is on strike | Compensation | Care and refund or re-routing |
|---|---|---|
| Lufthansa (or other airline) pilots | Usually due: €250 / €400 / €600 (UK261: £220 / £350 / £520) | Always owed |
| Lufthansa (or other airline) cabin crew | Usually due | Always owed |
| Verdi strike by airport, handling or security staff | Usually not due – extraordinary circumstance | Always owed |
| Air traffic controllers | Usually not due | Always owed |
The leading case is C-28/20 (Airhelp v SAS, 2021): the Court of Justice of the EU held that a strike called by a union of the airline’s own staff to obtain better pay or conditions is not an extraordinary circumstance, even if it was announced in advance. See strikes and extraordinary circumstances.
Whatever the cause, the airline must offer a refund or re-routing if your flight is cancelled, and provide meals, refreshments and, if needed, a hotel while you wait. In past strikes Lufthansa has also offered affected passengers free rebooking or free cancellation of their ticket.
Compensation is not due if you were told about the cancellation at least 14 days in advance, and it can be halved if you are re-routed and arrive only a little late.
What to do if your flight is affected
- Make sure your contact details are in your booking, so the airline can reach you – German strikes are often announced at short notice.
- If your flight is cancelled, choose a refund or re-routing. Ask for re-routing on another airline or by train if that gets you there sooner.
- Keep the cancellation message and all receipts.
- If the airline’s own staff were on strike, claim compensation – directly from the airline or with help.
Flight cancelled by a Lufthansa or airport strike? Check your compensation
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Strike days at Germany’s airports since 2024
EUROCONTROL attributes every arrival flow restriction to a cause. These are the days on which restrictions at Germany’s airports were put down to industrial action, from January 2024 to 30 September 2026 – 1 in 2024.
| Date | ATC strike delay (min) | Other strike delay (min) | Airports |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 March 2024 | – | 40 | CGN |
Only restrictions on arriving flights at the airports themselves are counted; strikes by air traffic controllers elsewhere (for example in France, affecting overflights) and by airline staff do not appear here. A strike by air traffic controllers or airport staff is usually an extraordinary circumstance; a strike by the airline’s own staff is not. Source: EUROCONTROL. Check a specific day: delay cause checker.
Frequently asked questions
Do I get compensation if Lufthansa pilots go on strike?
Usually yes. Pilots and cabin crew employed by the airline are its own staff, and the Court of Justice of the EU ruled in C-28/20 that a strike by an airline’s own staff is not an extraordinary circumstance. If your flight is cancelled less than 14 days before departure or arrives 3+ hours late, you can usually claim €250–€600.
What about a Verdi strike at Frankfurt or Munich airport?
A strike by airport, security or ground-handling staff who do not work for your airline is usually an extraordinary circumstance, so compensation is normally not due. The airline must still offer a refund or re-routing and look after you while you wait.
How much notice is given before a German strike?
There is no fixed legal notice period in Germany. Warning strikes (Warnstreiks) at airports are often announced only one or two days ahead; airline crew strikes sometimes with a day’s notice. Lufthansa usually informs passengers by e-mail and in its app.
Is a strike by Lufthansa cabin crew different from a pilots’ strike?
No, for your rights it makes no difference: both are the airline’s own staff, so compensation is usually due. The same applies to strikes at Lufthansa Group airlines such as Lufthansa CityLine or Eurowings when their own staff strike.
Strike dates are taken from union announcements, official notices and press reports; each entry lists its sources. German strikes are often announced or called off at short notice – always check with your airline. Last checked: 10 November 2026. General information, not legal advice.
Sources
- Lufthansa-Schlichtung ohne Ergebnis: Mediation läuft bis 15. November (23 October 2026) – ad-hoc-news
- Schlichtung bei Lufthansa ohne Einigung beendet (October 2026) – t-online
- VC union calls for Lufthansa pilots to strike on 13–14 April 2026 – CAPA – Centre for Aviation
- VC union calls for Lufthansa pilots to strike on 16–17 April 2026 – CAPA – Centre for Aviation
- After cabin crews, Lufthansa pilots go on strike again on April 13 and 14 (2026) – TravelMole
- Lufthansa pilots to stage 48-hour strike on March 12 (2026) – Anadolu Agency
- One-day strike at 13 German airports, including main hubs, brings most flights to a halt (10 March 2025) – AP via WUNC
- Tarifstreit: Weitere Flughafenstreiks wird es bis März 2027 nicht geben (29 April 2025) – Handelsblatt
- Judgment C-28/20 Airhelp v SAS (23 March 2021) – Court of Justice of the EU
- Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 – full text – EUR-Lex
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