Tens of thousands of passengers across Germany endured significant travel disruption on Friday as cabin crew at Lufthansa and its regional unit, Lufthansa CityLine, staged a day-long strike.

The industrial action, organised by the UFO union, ran from midnight until 10pm (8pm GMT).

Frankfurt Airport operator Fraport reported approximately 580 flight cancellations by Friday morning, impacting around 72,000 passengers. These figures, covering all airlines operating at the hub, not solely Lufthansa, were expected to evolve throughout the day.

The strike also severely affected Munich, another key Lufthansa hub, while CityLine cabin crew walked out at nine airports nationwide.

Meanwhile Lufthansa’s newest subsidiary, Lufthansa City Airlines, successfully signed its inaugural labour agreement. Lufthansa brand chief Jens Ritter criticised the widespread industrial action as “completely disproportionate,” though UFO negotiators maintained that “escalation was inevitable given stalled talks.”

The walkout stands in sharp contrast to developments at Lufthansa City Airlines, the group’s newest and smallest subsidiary, where the rival union Verdi secured the carrier’s first collective wage agreement covering 500 cockpit and cabin staff.

The deal, reached after marathon talks last week, will lift basic salaries by between 20 per cent and 35 per cent in three stages through March 2029, and includes extra days off, more vacation, improved roster planning and expanded pension support, Verdi said.

The diverging fortunes of the two subsidiaries reflect a broader restructuring underway inside the Lufthansa Group. Lufthansa operates long-haul and major European routes through its mainline airline, while short-haul feeder flights have historically been handled by CityLine.

The group has said it plans to close CityLine by year-end, with its feeder operations transitioning to City Airlines, which was founded in 2022 as a cost-efficient alternative amid growing competitive pressures in Europe’s aviation industry.

The closure plan has sparked anger among CityLine’s staff, who fear job losses and uncertain futures.