Pilot salary: This is what Lufthansa pilots earn in 2026
Pilots at the Lufthansa Group nowhere earn as much as they do at the core brand Lufthansa Airlines. Nevertheless, they are dissatisfied. Is that justified? The salary check shows the details.
Frankfurt - The dispute between Lufthansa pilots and their employer continues to simmer. The pilots' union, Vereinigung Cockpit (VC), has now filed a case with the Cologne District Court. The management had terminated an agreement that would have exempted pilots from work in the VC's committees and credited hours towards their salaries.
The pilots' union describes this as one of "the sharpest attacks" and intends to clarify the matter in court. The management responded by terminating the agreement following a prolonged strike wave. Multiple days of industrial action in the first quarter and in April caused the airline around 200 million euros in costs, according to Lufthansa.
The conflict revolves around pension contributions. The VC demands more, while the management argues that the airline's premium brand cannot afford such expenses. The flight operations have been restructured for months to get out of the loss-making zone. "Just because the VC demands more employer benefits does not mean we can further degrade the future viability of the entire company," said CFO Michael Niggemann in an internal company interview.
Pension provision is already at the top level in Europe, even compared to Lufthansa's competitors. This applies to the compensation of around 4,500 pilots at Lufthansa Airlines and Lufthansa Cargo. This article explains the cost of pilot training and how much flight captains at Lufthansa and Eurowings will pay in 2026.
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