Birmingham Airport is experiencing significant disruption today, Thursday, April 16, with over a dozen flights cancelled due to ongoing strikes by pilots from Eurowings and Lufthansa. The strikes are part of a dispute over company pension schemes affecting both Lufthansa’s core brand and its regional subsidiary, CityLine.
The pilots' union, Vereinigung Cockpit (VC), has called on its members to walk out, demanding that Lufthansa more than double its contributions to the pension fund. In response, Eurowings is operating only around 60% of its scheduled flights this week, while Lufthansa has cancelled approximately two-thirds of its short and medium-haul flights and half of its long-haul services.
Andreas Pinheiro, President of VC, expressed frustration over the lack of progress, stating: “There is absolutely no movement on the part of the employers. Lufthansa, Lufthansa Cargo, and Eurowings have yet to present any viable offers regarding pension schemes or collective bargaining agreements.”
READ MORE: Urgent Recall of Nail Varnish Remover Due to Cancer-Linked Toxic Chemicals
READ MORE: Best Pub Crawl in Birmingham Returns with Record-Breaking Weekend Expected
He further noted that arbitration involving an independent third party could help resolve the dispute and prevent further escalation.
This disruption follows earlier strike action on April 12 and 13. Today’s cancelled flights from Birmingham Airport include the following:
- 06:05 Frankfurt - LH 959 Lufthansa
- 07:05 Dusseldorf - EW 9330 Eurowings
- 07:45 Dusseldorf - EW 9331 Eurowings
- 09:40 Frankfurt - LH 954 Lufthansa
- 10:15 Frankfurt - LH 955 Lufthansa
- 15:00 Dusseldorf - EW 9332 Eurowings
- 15:45 Dusseldorf - EW 9333 Eurowings
- 17:10 Munich - LH 2510 Lufthansa
- 17:30 Frankfurt - LH 956 Lufthansa
- 17:55 Munich - LH 2511 Lufthansa
- 18:10 Frankfurt - LH 957 Lufthansa
- 19:15 Dusseldorf - EW 9334 Eurowings
- 19:55 Dusseldorf - EW 9335 Eurowings
- 21:45 Frankfurt - LH 958 Lufthansa
Passengers are advised to check with their airlines for the latest updates and make alternative arrangements where necessary.