site.btaStrikes at Lufthansa Continue for Fifth Consecutive Day, Sofia Flights Cancelled on Friday

Strike action by employees are affecting the German airline Lufthansa for a fifth consecutive day, leading to the cancellation of hundreds of flights and intensifying tensions between the carrier’s management and trade unions, DPA reported.

Vasil Levski Airport told BTA that on Friday all Lufthansa flights to and from Sofia were cancelled due to the strike. Since the beginning of the week, 12 Lufthansa flights per day to and from Sofia Airport have been cancelled, six departures and six arrivals daily.

The strikes have also affected Lufthansa Cargo and the regional subsidiary Lufthansa CityLine. The latter will be shut down earlier than planned, the Lufthansa Group announced on Thursday, adding that its operations will be terminated as early as Saturday.

The company justified the decision with high aviation fuel costs and the financial impact of strikes by pilots and cabin crew, which have periodically disrupted operations in recent weeks.

On Thursday, Lufthansa announced that it is suspending flights with some of its smaller aircraft for the first time due to high kerosene prices and ongoing labor disputes that have affected the airline.

Lufthansa pilots went on strike on Friday, after strikes had been announced for a total of four days this week, while flight attendants carried out protest actions over two days this week.