Lufthansa grounded hundreds of flights on Thursday as pilots and cabin crew walked out for a fifth consecutive day of strikes, even as the airline announced the immediate suspension of its regional subsidiary Cityline due to soaring fuel costs and ongoing labor disputes.
Lufthansa suspends Cityline operations amid ongoing strikes
The airline confirmed on Thursday that it had halted all Cityline flights effective immediately, citing rising kerosene prices and the financial strain from prolonged strikes by pilots and cabin crew. The move affects 27 older Canadair jets operated by the subsidiary, which will no longer be used in scheduled service. Lufthansa said the decision accelerates a previously planned phase-out of Cityline, which had been under review for some time.
Strikes disrupt air travel across northern Germany
On Thursday alone, 44 Lufthansa flights were canceled at Hamburg Airport, with eight takeoffs and landings each scrapped in Hannover and 19 flights called off in Bremen. The disruptions follow four days of coordinated action by the pilots‘ union Vereinigung Cockpit and the cabin crew organization UFO, which have jointly triggered hundreds of flight cancellations nationwide since the start of the week. Eurowings, Lufthansa’s low-cost subsidiary, was reported to be operating normally on Thursday after its pilots ended their strike action earlier in the week.
