Deutsche Lufthansa AG has reached an agreement on wages with cabin crew, ending months of intensive negotiations that had been disrupted by crippling strikes at Europe’s largest airline group.
In particular, Lufthansa and the UFO union, which represents 19,000 cabin crew members of the German airline, including flight attendants, have agreed on a wage increase, putting an end to the threat of strike action, which has recently been a common occurrence at Lufthansa.
The agreement will ensure a total wage increase of 16.5 percent, in three stages over 36 months, retroactive to Jan. 1, as well as an inflation compensation bonus of 3,000 euros ($3,220.50) and an increase in other benefits, Lufthansa said in a statement. The agreement runs at least until the end of 2026 and protects the airline from strikes until then.
“I am very pleased about the agreement with our collective bargaining partner UFO – for our colleagues in the cabin, who do an excellent job every day, but also for our guests, who finally have planning security in this respect again when flying with Lufthansa,” said Dr. Michael Niggemann, Director of Human Resources and Chief Operating Officer of Deutsche Lufthansa AG.
“Our goal has always been to find a solution at the negotiating table together with the union. Now we have succeeded,” he added.
Frequent travel disruptions have become the norm for Lufthansa passengers recently, due to strikes by cabin crew and ground staff.
In fact, cabin crew union members went on strike earlier this month to press their demands for higher wages, affecting tens of thousands of passengers.
Last month, Lufthansa also reached a wage agreement with the Verdi union, which represents around 20,000 ground staff.
Meanwhile, two rounds of collective bargaining for cabin crew at Lufthansa subsidiary Discover Airlines and its regional airline Cityline are still ongoing in Germany, but according to the UFO union, the two sides are moving towards an agreement.
