Pilotengehalt: Das verdienen Lufthansa-Piloten 2026

Frankfurt - Tensions persist between Lufthansa pilots and their employer, with the Union Cockpit (VC) representation filing a complaint with the Cologne District Court at the end of June. The company's leadership had terminated a previous agreement that would have provided pilots with relief from certain duties in VC committees and recognized hours.

The pilots' representatives accuse the management of launching "one of the sharpest attacks," while they intend to clarify the matter in court. Management responded by canceling an agreement following a prolonged strike wave in the first quarter and April, which cost Lufthansa around €200 million, according to its own figures.

The dispute revolves around pension contributions. The VC demands more, while management counters the weak economic condition of the premium brand Lufthansa. For months, the flight operations have been restructured to recover sustainably from the losses. "Just because the VC demands more employer benefits, we cannot further undermine the future viability of the entire company," said Head of Personnel Michael Niggemann in an internally published interview.

The pension scheme is already at the top level, even compared to European competitors, and applies to the overall compensation of around 4,500 pilots at Lufthansa Airlines and Lufthansa Cargo. This article explains what pilot training costs and how much Lufthansa and Eurowings aircraft captains will pay in 2026 in detail.