The Lufthansa pilots are not started to work. For three days, their union has called it a strike. The airline has about 3,800 flights canceled. The most important information at a glance.

Standstill at Lufthansa: Most pilots have resigned from their jobs. The strike began, according to a spokesman for the pilots’ union Vereinigung Cockpit at midnight – and shows the early morning first impact.

” There are far fewer people there,” said a spokesman for the airport in Munich. A bigger mess but you do not expect . “At the moment everything is running in closed loop measurements , the people were well informed, all quiet moment in the terminal ,” said a spokesman from the Airport Duty management of the Frankfurt airport , where only 900 flights are canceled. There are plenty of camp beds have been prepared and have been set up aid stations and family areas for those traveling with small children. ” There are few people who came here with no prior knowledge . ”

For three days, the Lufthansa flight operations to be on strike , according to the cockpit call. In addition, the pilots want to demonstrate in the morning at Frankfurt Airport for their concern about the preservation of the transition bonds that previously allowed the pilots early exit from the profession.

Lufthansa has responded to the comprehensive threat of a strike around 5400 Captains and Co – pilots and canceled the majority of their flight program up to and including Friday. Around 425,000 passengers affected by the flight cancellations from about 3800 . A lot of it should be reposted on other means of transport or appointments . ” Call centers have been increased to the maximum capacity ,” said a spokeswoman for Lufthansa .

Also in the Lufthansa subsidiary German Wings fall out more than half of the planned 1332 flights. The remainder is expelled from society not on strike Euro Wings. The hub airports Frankfurt and Munich are preparing despite the early warnings out before that transit passengers without Schengen visa could be stranded in the transit areas.

Lufthansa Pilots Strike: Lufthansa’s elite problem

Good 400,000 passengers affected by the strike pilot of Lufthansa . That sounds like a lot, but corresponds to just one-half percent of the population – and a substantial part of the Lufthansa passengers does not come from Germany . Therefore much less citizens are noticed something as of the strikes , with whom Verdi recently paralyzed among other buses and trains , hospitals and day care centers by the pilot strike.

How controllable are the strike episodes, evidenced by the fact that the operation at German railway stations , despite the additional passengers so far continues largely normal. There can therefore be no question that the pilots Germany cripple .
Of course, drivers have as much right to strike as other professional groups. No one can conditions like Gulf airlines from the United Arab Emirates want, where labor disputes are prohibited by law . And that the Vereinigung Cockpit (VC ) wants to prevent in pension provision a split between young professionals and veterans , is a legitimate concern principle .

Only , there is little rap alone on his rights when around it changed the world. At this changed world belongs to the steep rise of Gulf carriers , which can not prevent the now often called for aid policy . And part of a trend to longer works, does not stop even before the Lufthansa : There were pilots of the airline, which successfully sued in the European Court against a forced retirement at 60 , and thus also questioned the yet possible retirement with 55 in question.

The change in the world of Lufthansa finally also means that the European aerospace industry is in crisis . Several airlines went bankrupt in recent years , Germany’s second largest airline Air Berlin is increasingly dependent on the favor of the Arab major investor from Etihad . Although Lufthansa continues to make profit, but has also a tough austerity program prescribed disappear by the thousands of posts .

Against this background, it is a bit cynical when the former VC CEO Winfried Streicher complained on ZDF , they want to ” the staff here to ask to Checkout ” , although “right a lot of money ” will . Because so far only other Lufthansa employees were affected by the austerity program , the pilots have denied yourself .

And so the pilots’ strike can indeed be most Germans do not care , but not to the other employees in the Group . You are met by an elite hostage , which is the security of one’s privileges apparently more important than the future of the entire company .

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