Industrial action by pilots and cabin crew at German flagship carrier Lufthansa has disrupted flights, leaving some Nigerian passengers stranded and forcing others to spend the night at airports.
Passengers affected by cancellations were rebooked onto alternative carriers, including Royal Air Maroc.
However, some reported poor communication from the Moroccan airline, along with flight postponements attributed to technical issues.
On Thursday, a number of passengers en route to Nigeria were forced to stay overnight at the Frankfurt Airport.
The disruptions stemmed from a series of strikes in April 2026.
Cabin crew, represented by the Unabhängige Flugbegleiter Organisation, and pilots from Vereinigung Cockpit staged staggered walkouts over demands for higher pay, improved pensions, and better working conditions amid restructuring at the Lufthansa Group.
Negotiations with management had stalled, prompting the unions to take action.
Lufthansa described the demands as financially unsustainable, noting the airline’s ongoing recovery from past economic challenges and the need for cost discipline to restore profitability.
The carrier said it remained open to dialogue while balancing staff interests with long-term sustainability.
Major German hubs, particularly Frankfurt and Munich, saw significant disruptions, with hundreds of flights cancelled on peak strike days and up to 80–90 per cent of operations affected at times.
Tens of thousands of passengers across Lufthansa’s network were impacted.
In response to mounting pressures—including repeated strikes and rising jet fuel costs—Lufthansa announced it would accelerate restructuring by permanently removing all 27 aircraft of its regional subsidiary, Lufthansa CityLine, from service starting April 18, 2026.
The airline stated that affected staff would be offered opportunities to transfer to other units within the group, with redundancy negotiations underway.
Many passengers originally booked on Lufthansa were rebooked onto other airlines to complete their journeys.
One Nigerian traveller departing from Frankfurt described the experience as deeply frustrating.
“The experience was horrible. I couldn’t meet my appointment in Nigeria, and that cost me a lot. It was frustrating because there was little communication at first, and people were just left to figure things out on their own,” the passenger told Sunday PUNCH.
Another passenger highlighted issues with the rebooking carrier.
He said, “Air Maroc is a terrible airline. A flight meant for 5:55pm on Thursday was moved to the following day. Some passengers had to sleep at the airport. These were passengers whose visas had expired and the border officers did not allow them to return to Germany. The airline did not put them in the transit hotel. They just abandoned them. Some passengers were, however, put in a hotel in Frankfurt. The experience was generally awful.”
When contacted, Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority spokesperson, Michael Achimugu, acknowledged the situation, noting that Lufthansa had informed the authority of the strikes.
“If they can book passengers on other airlines or lodge passengers in hotels, these moves are within the regulations. It is either that or passengers are stuck there forever,” he said.
The strikes have highlighted ongoing labour tensions at Lufthansa as the airline navigates economic headwinds.
Passengers affected by cancellations or long delays may be entitled to compensation under EU rules in many cases.
(Punch)
