New cabin crew strike at Lufthansa to affect flights. Photo: Shutterstock New disruptions: Lufthansa is bracing passengers for yet another disruption amid the cabin crew union UFO announcing a short-notice strike that will affect flights on Wednesday and Thursday, April 15 and 16, 2026. The action, which will impact services operated by Lufthansa and Lufthansa CityLine, follows the ongoing 48-hour pilot strike by the Vereinigung Cockpit union, which grounded hundreds of flights on April 13 and April 14, 2026.
The airline said it was working intensively to reduce the impact on passengers by shifting as many flights as possible to other airlines within the Lufthansa Group and partner carriers. However, it has acknowledged that some cancellations cannot be avoided: “Despite these efforts, flight cancellations are unavoidable.”
The changes are expected to be reflected in booking systems by the morning of April 14 at the latest.
Passengers are advised to check the status of their flight before heading to the airport. Travelers whose contact details are included in their booking will be notified directly if their flight is affected.
Not all Lufthansa Group airlines are included in the strike. Flights operated by Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Eurowings, SWISS, Air Dolomiti, Discover Airlines, Edelweiss and Lufthansa City Airlines are expected to operate as planned.
Customers can rebook their flight once free of charge or request a full refund. These options apply to tickets issued for Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian Airlines and Brussels Airlines, as well as Air Dolomiti, under the respective rebooking and refund policies.
In case of a domestic German flight being canceled, passengers are given the option of switching to rail travel with Deutsche Bahn at no additional cost. Train tickets are valid on the day of issue and the following day.
The airline issued guidance for short-notice cancellations, explaining that, in some cases, particularly within 48 hours of departure, booking records may not immediately reflect the cancellation. Even so, rebooking or refunds can still be processed without additional approval.
"We apologize for the inconvenience caused by the disproportionate and very short-notice strike announcement," said Lufthansa.