Lufthansa strikes deal with cabin staff after spring of labour unrest

German airline Lufthansa has struck a wage deal with cabin crews, ending the last of several major labour disputes in Germany's aviation sector that saw flight operations disrupted with several strikes.

The agreement on a three-year collective bargaining deal was announced by the Independent Flight Attendants Organization (UFO) trade union on Thursday.

The deal, which will run through the end of 2026, provides for wage increases of 17.4% in three stages for the nearly 19,000 employees covered by the agreement, and a one-off inflation compensation bonus of €3,000.

The agreement must still be approved by a vote of UFO members.

The union had originally demanded 15% raises - but over a much shorter deal lasting just 18 months. Salaries will now be increased by 8% on May 1 of this year, by 5% on March 1, 2025 and finally by 3% on March 1, 2026.

The most recent UFO strike, a one-day work stoppage on March 12, brought Lufthansa flight operations to a standstill.

Just before the Easter holiday, Lufthansa and the verdi trade union settled the wage dispute among Lufthansa ground staff with the help of arbitration. That deal was approved by 94.5% of union members.

Lufthansa pilots, meanwhile, have been bound by a long-term collective agreement for some time.

A separate wage dispute involving airport security workers employed by private contractors at German airports has also led to several disruptive strikes. Last week, a compromise to settle that dispute appeared to be reached through arbitration.

In the spring, all three professional groups repeatedly staged separate strikes, paralysing large parts of German air traffic.

Lufthansa's deal with flight attendants does not cover staff at Lufthansa subsidiaries Cityline and Discover.

The UFO trade union said progress has been made in separate talks toward collective bargaining deals with those workers, but no agreement has yet been reached.

Pilots at Discover, which operates flights from Germany to popular vacation destinations, are also fighting for their first collective bargaining deal. The airline was founded less than three years ago.