German Lufthansa subsidiary strikes cause cancellations
October 20, 2019
Flight attendants working for smaller divisions of airline group Lufthansa are striking over pay and pensions. The UFO union's extended strike has led to cancellations at airports in Germany.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/C. Gateau
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Collective action by a German cabin crew union disrupted Eurowings, Germanwings, Lufthansa CityLine and SunExpress flights on Sunday. The strike was initially set to last between 5 and 11 a.m. but is now expected to last until midnight German time (22:00 UTC), as the cabin crew UFO union decided to extend it on short notice.
The walkout affects flights operated by subsidiaries of Germany's flagship carrier Lufthansa, but not Lufthansa itself.
Airports across Germany have reported cancelations. However, while the UFO representatives described the walkout as "very successful" and said that the more than 100 flights had been canceled, Lufthansa's daughter companies said that only individual flights had been canceled or delayed by the strike.
A strike by UFO union members has caused widespread delays and cancellations at airports in western GermanyImage: picture-alliance/dpa/F. Gentsch
At least 15 flights from the German carrier Eurowings were canceled at Berlin's airports, according to a spokeswoman.
Munich Airport reported 10 cancellations on Sunday morning.
"The affected airlines are making do with all personnel who are not organized [in the union]; we'll have to wait and see what the day brings," a spokesman for Munich Airport cautioned.
A spokesman for Dusseldorf Airport, where four connections had been canceled, also predicted more cancellations throughout the day. The airport is reporting that 60 flights are at risk.
Lufthansa has called the strike illegal. The company also maintains that the union's new leaders, who took office earlier this year, were not properly elected and are thus not in a position to legally represent staff.
UFO organized the walkout over worker's wages, company pensions and part-time work provisions. It is looking for a 2% pay rise for its cabin crew, after it won a 2% pay rise for cabin crew at Lufthansa.
kmm/tj (dpa/Reuters)
Airline logos: Colorful, stark and striking
The large, often stylized logos on airplane tails allow you to immediately recognize the airline when you spot a plane. Many use birds in their designs, but all companies want to let you know where they are based.
Image: S. Barbour/Getty Images
Qantas
The plane tails of Australia's national airline Qantas are embellished with a stylized kangaroo, hence the nickname "the Flying Kangaroo!" Even from a far distance, it's easy to tell which continent the plane comes from. After all, kangaroos only exist in Australia. This animal has become a sort of national logo, appearing not only on planes but also on Australia's coat of arms and currency.
Image: S. Barbour/Getty Images
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines
In contrast to its Australian counterpart, the logo of KLM Royal Dutch Airlines is more factual. The abstract symbol of a crown in combination with the three letters KLM leaves no doubt as to which country this plane comes from. And that's what logos are all about.
Image: AFP/Getty Images/R. de Waal
Gambia Bird
The tiny West African state is a paradise for birds and their friends. More than 500 different kinds of birds live in the Gambia. Tourists don't even need to take birdwatching trips because many birds can be spotted in hotel gardens — they're just everywhere! Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Gambian national airline went for a bird as its logo when it was founded in 2012. Service ceased in 2014.
Image: flickr/Transport Pixels
Alaska Airlines
The Seattle-based airline has proved its creativity on several occasions during its 90-year-long history. The company was among the first airlines to sell tickets online and to offer online and automatic check-ins. Like its name, the logo of the airline refers to Alaska and its indigenous inhabitants, the Inuit.
Image: Reuters
Iran Air
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Image: Konstantin von Wedelstaedt
Air Tanzania
Over the years Tanzania's national airline has also had to face numerous challenges. Sometimes its fleet was in the air, sometimes not, and the airline's owners also frequently changed. It's certainly not the fault of the giraffe logo. The world's tallest animal looks so friendly and inviting on the plane;what passenger could say no to stepping onboard for a trip to Mount Kilimanjaro?
Image: flickr/stevesaviation
Takeoff into the future
A crane has served as the logo of Germany's largest airline since 1918. Some types of cranes cover enormous distances when they migrate, but others are considered pests due to their enormous appetites. Lufhansa is now flying into the future with a new logo design. The symbol will be the same, but the colors will change. Goodbye yellow and gray, hello simple white and blue!
