As Lufthansa turns 100 and celebrates with Chancellor Merz, crises and employee discontent rage outside the lavish “Hangar One” festivities.
The anniversary pins might seem minor, but their absence fuels resentment. “They couldn’t even manage that,” expresses a visibly angry woman. Standing by Gate 20 at Frankfurt Airport under the blazing midday sun, she and her colleagues, who decline to be named, have gathered at the call of the UFO flight attendants’ union. “I’ve been flying for 35 years,” she states, “I’m a Lufthansa employee with all my heart. In all these years, I’ve never felt so unappreciated.”
Nods of agreement ripple through the crowd; many have been with the airline for decades. They weren’t even invited to today’s celebration. The fact that the company couldn’t even organize 100th-anniversary pins for everyone illustrates their lack of consideration for employees. This sentiment is precisely why they are striking today, on the airline’s 100th birthday celebration.
Lufthansa had planned a grand celebration. The first “Crane” took flight on April 6, 1926. Since then, the airline has navigated a turbulent history, from its pioneering years and the dark chapter of Nazi crimes to the hijacking of the “Landshut” in 1977, global acquisitions in the early 2000s, and near-insolvency during the Corona pandemic. These milestones warrant a toast, especially in the presence of Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU).
However, Lufthansa’s 101st year also threatens to be turbulent. Wars and the oil price shock are particularly burdensome for aviation companies. Adding to the turmoil, conflicts with pilot and flight attendant unions have escalated. Lufthansa faces a seven-day strike, as of now, leading to the cancellation of hundreds of flights and stranded passengers.
The birthday party of Germany’s largest airline is poised to be significantly marred.
Lufthansa Confronts Its Nazi Past
Just a few hundred meters from the incensed flight attendants, a string quartet plays. Black limousines arrive at Lufthansa’s brand-new “Hangar One.” Amidst the wings of historic aircraft, men in suits toast each other. The number 100 is emblazoned everywhere. Everyone awaits the star guests: CEO Carsten Spohr and, of course, Chancellor Merz.
They arrive shortly after 3 p.m. Before taking the podium, they examine historic flight attendant uniforms. Spohr’s favorite is the yellow one from the 70s; Merz appears to have no preference. Then follows the performance “We are the Journey,” the anniversary motto now a song. “Same Logo, different Moves,” raps a singer as bass thunders from the speakers. Once the performance concludes, the speeches begin.
The strike plays only a minor role in the celebration. Hobby pilot Merz doesn’t address it at all. In his speech, he emphasizes the airline’s “strategic importance” to the country, stating, “Lufthansa is a key company for Germany as an economic location.” He also commends the company’s ongoing reckoning with its role during the Nazi regime. Lufthansa conducted campaign flights for Adolf Hitler for payment, handled repairs for the Luftwaffe during the war, and employed thousands of forced laborers.
Spohr also touches upon the historical review. He briefly mentions the striking employees outside the hall, whose muffled sounds can be heard within Hangar One. He notes that the two sectoral unions might still struggle with the company’s strategy as a “multiairline, multihub” enterprise. Otherwise, he recounts his company’s history and legendary flight numbers (LH400 to New York, LH500 to Rio de Janeiro, and LH600 to Tehran – the latter currently grounded).
The confrontation with the strikers is addressed by Supervisory Board Chairman Karl-Ludwig Kley on stage. He speaks of expecting “ambition, performance, team spirit, and responsibility” from employees. “Apparently, some of our employees carry a different gene,” he remarks, calling the intensity of the collective bargaining disputes paradoxical and suggesting that “self-interest” is replacing “social partnership” within the sectoral unions.
Merz: Crises Affect Aviation “Hardly Any Other Industry So Directly”
Instead of birthday cake, the striking employees eat Chinese food they’ve ordered. They huddle under a green canopy for shade. Harry Jaeger from the UFO union gives interviews at a rapid pace.
“Everything is negotiable; we haven’t taken a hard stance anywhere,” he says, accusing Lufthansa of not seeking compromise. He acknowledges the inconvenience to passengers due to the strikes, stating, “We don’t want to harm passengers. That’s tough, I understand that.” However, they see no other option. This is their perspective.
The conflict between the company, flight attendants, and pilots is complex. It involves the outsourcing of aircraft to cheaper subsidiaries, higher pension benefits for pilots, and better protection against dismissal for flight attendants. Criticism is directed at short-term duty scheduling, while Lufthansa cites its significant costs.
Strikes by Pilots and Flight Attendants
Last week, flight attendants went on strike, followed by pilots earlier this week. The sequence repeats: flight attendants on Wednesday and Thursday, and pilots on Thursday and Friday. Union representatives state there was no coordination. Lufthansa rejected a conciliation offer from the Cockpit pilot union on Wednesday.
Furthermore, unions compete with each other for collective agreements. Amidst the UFO strike, Verdi reached an agreement with the new Lufthansa subsidiary City Airlines. All these factors play a role today. However, listening to the employees at Gate 20, the primary concern is appreciation.
“We are fighting for our airline,” one woman says. They feel the management views flight attendants primarily as a cost factor. They want to provide excellent service, but staff shortages and outdated aircraft make it difficult. They are particularly unhappy with CEO Spohr, especially after his interview with the “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.” He had stated, “Better a few days with a reduced Lufthansa Group offering due to strikes than permanently with a significantly reduced core brand at some point.” This statement has been noted by the strikers, especially in light of his increased compensation in recent years. “We are one big family, but the head of the family is losing it,” someone comments.
Unpassable Flight Routes
The strike is not Lufthansa’s only problem. For several years, the airline has faced competition from state-subsidized airlines from the Gulf region, along with recurring crises. “Our world is reorganizing itself these months,” Chancellor Merz remarks. “The weekly emerging crises prove this sufficiently. Geopolitical conflicts and geo-economic uncertainties affect hardly any industry as directly and as quickly as aviation.”
The wars in Ukraine and Iran have rendered flight corridors impassable, and kerosene prices have risen dramatically. While Lufthansa benefits in the short term from airlines like Emirates or Qatar Airlines offering fewer long-haul flights due to the Iran war, the airline could face long-term problems.
As Lufthansa’s top management reflects on the uncertain future over wine and appetizers in Hangar One, the approximately 1000 demonstrators outside disperse. An agreement has not become any more likely on this day, which was supposed to be a celebration. A pilot union representative indicated that further strikes next week cannot be ruled out. Perhaps, by then, at least all the anniversary pins will be available.
