Lufthansa Says It Will Make ‘Improved Offer’ to Avoid Another Strike This Week

Ahead of another potential pilot strike this week, German carrier Lufthansa said it would make an improved offer to its pilots' union today.

The airline, which operated through a strike last week that caused hundreds of flights to be canceled at its German hubs in Frankfurt and Munich, plans to do “everything possible” to avoid another strike on Wednesday and Thursday.

The union that represents Lufthansa pilots has been bargaining for pay increases and says it plans to strike again this week should it not come to an agreement on a new contract with the airline. Marcel Gröls, the chairman of Vereinigung Cockpit, the union that represents those pilots, said last week that talks are “too far apart at the moment” and more travel disruptions could occur.

Lufthansa plans to update its schedule this week by mid-day on Tuesday in light of the potential strike by the union.

It has been a summer of disruption for so many travelers going through European airports. Staffing issues and strikes and work stoppages have made the return-to-travel chaotic. Some other strike actions this summer included the SAS pilots' strike, which resulted in the cancellations of close to 4,000 flights over its almost two-week duration, and, outside of Europe, a WestJet workers strike at two of Canada’s major airports.