Due to the second pilot strike within a few weeks, the airline Eurowings is threatened with numerous flight cancellations from Monday to Wednesday. Of the around 400 flights planned for Monday, more than 230 are expected to take place, the Lufthansa subsidiary announced on Sunday. Eurowings also expects to be able to carry out more than half of the planned flight program for Tuesday and Wednesday.
The Cockpit Association has called on the Eurowings pilots to lay down their work from Monday 00.00 a.m. to Wednesday (19 October) inclusive. The union explained that the reason for this was the employer’s insufficient offer for the collective agreement. The conflict is about better working conditions. A central requirement is the relief of employees, for example by reducing the maximum flight duty times.
The fact that Eurowings, despite the strike, is still able to carry out more than half of the planned flights is not least due to the fact that the machines of the Austrian subsidiary Eurowings Europe are not affected by the industrial dispute. She flies “under full load,” it said. The airline Eurowings Discover, which operates from Frankfurt and Munich, is also not affected by VC’s current strike call. In addition, the Lufthansa subsidiary uses aircraft from partner companies, which also otherwise carry out some of the flights.
In addition, it is expected that numerous pilots from Eurowings Germany will appear on duty despite the call for a strike, Eurowings explained. The airline made it very clear in internal meetings at the weekend that the relief package offered up until the strike, with ten additional days off per year and three hours less weekly working hours, reached the limit of what was economically reasonable, Eurowings said. The Lufthansa subsidiary warned that the Cockpit Association would not be able to strike an even better offer, but would only contribute to renewed customer disappointment and further damage worth millions with its course.
The flight plans for Tuesday and Wednesday would be published as soon as it was clear how many pilots reported for flight duty despite the call for a strike, Eurowings explained. Passengers were asked to keep themselves informed about the status of their flight via the website or the Eurowings customer app.
