Lufthansa CEO admits today’s strike ‘really hurts’ as hundreds of flights axed

The CEO of Lufthansa Airlines, Jens Ritter, has admitted that the latest strike by staff “really hurts,” coming as it does “right in the middle of the Easter return travel weekend”.

On April 10, 2026, Lufthansa and Lufthansa CityLine flight attendants, represented by the Independent Flight Attendants’ Organization (UFO), commenced strike action over working conditions.

According to Tagesschau, the German Airports Association (ADV) believes that more than 520 flights will be cancelled by the end of the day, causing disruptions to the travel plans of thousands of customers.

The disruptions center on Lufthansa flights leaving Frankfurt and Munich, plus Hamburg, Hanover, Bremen, Stuttgart, Cologne, Düsseldorf and Berlin.

The one-day action, the third major strike by Lufthansa employees this year, is due to conclude at 22:00 this evening (10 April).

Philip Lange / Shutterstock.com“This situation could have been avoided – the responsibility lies with Lufthansa, which has so far not even managed to put forward a proposal suitable for negotiation,” said UFO Chief Joachim Vázquez Bürger, according to Reuters.

On March 9, 2026, Ritter turned to LinkedIn to voice his frustration with the strike coming at a time when the airline is facing many challenges.

Ritters told the airline’s customers that he was “truly sorry” and that this was “not the experience we want to give you”.

“We are navigating a world in turmoil, a challenging financial reality, and the urgent need to transform Lufthansa Airlines as a whole. I know that this transformation is demanding. Change challenges us all — and I don’t take that lightly,” Ritters wrote.

He added: “In the past years, we have built something remarkable together — smooth ops, a product our guests love, one of the strongest brands in aviation. That happened because of the dedication and passion of every single person at this airline. Yet the future depends on our collective willingness to explore new paths, to work together and shape a future for our Lufthansa.”

The Lufthansa Airline CEO ended his post with an appeal to the unions to “come back to the negotiation table”.

Lufthansa Group airlines are being drafted in to help alleviate some of the disruptions, as they are unaffected by the latest strike.

SWISS announced plans to deploy larger aircraft on eight flights between Zurich and Frankfurt, as well as between Zurich and Munich, in order to accommodate more passengers.

Meanwhile, Lufthansa said that it had proactively contacted customers affected by flight cancellations or rebookings.

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