Carsten Spohr

In March 2026, Lufthansa pilots launched a two-day strike over company pensions. The Vereinigung Cockpit union accused the airline of failing to make a substantial improvement to its offer after months of discussions.

State of the evidence

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Attribution

Direct responsibility

The establishment of City Airlines, intended to take over part of Lufthansa CityLine's operations, met strong opposition from Vereinigung Cockpit, which believed the new structure was designed to circumvent existing employment terms. Discover Airlines also experienced union disputes over collective agreements.

State of the evidence

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Direct responsibility

In May 2022, Lufthansa prevented a large number of Jewish passengers from continuing their journey following behavioural problems attributed to certain members of the group. The incident triggered allegations of discrimination and an apology from the airline. In 2024, the US Department of Transportation imposed a civil penalty of 4 million dollars on Lufthansa for violating passengers' rights.

The US Department of Transportation penalised Lufthansa 1,1 million dollars in 2024 for delayed refunds relating to flights cancelled or significantly changed during the pandemic. The regulator had received more than 2 500 complaints and found numerous delays exceeding 100 days.

State of the evidence

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Attribution

Institutional responsibility

The UK's Advertising Standards Authority censured several Lufthansa advertisements in 2023 presenting the group as protecting the planet's future or emphasising more sustainable flights. The ASA considered that the wording could mislead consumers about aviation's actual environmental impact.

Attribution

Institutional responsibility

In 2020, Lufthansa obtained a German government stabilisation package worth up to 9 billion euros. At the same time, the group estimated excess staffing at approximately 22 000 full-time equivalents and embarked on a major restructuring. The scale of job cuts and dependence on public assistance fuelled social and political debate.

State of the evidence

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Direct responsibility

Lufthansa cancelled thousands of flights in summer 2022 amid staff shortages and a rapid recovery in traffic. Employees accused management of taking cost-cutting too far. Spohr apologised to passengers and acknowledged that the group did not yet have the resources required to deliver the expected reliability.

State of the evidence

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Direct responsibility

In late 2022, the supervisory board's decision to provide for long-term bonuses for Lufthansa executives in respect of 2021 and 2022 sparked controversy. The German government considered that payment for those years would violate the stabilisation package conditions.

State of the evidence

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Direct responsibility

Shortly after Spohr became Lufthansa CEO, the group faced a series of pilots' strikes, particularly over early retirement arrangements and the expansion of Eurowings as a lower-cost platform. The dispute caused numerous cancellations and hundreds of millions of euros in costs.

State of the evidence

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Direct responsibility

Following the deliberate crash of Germanwings flight 4U9525 by co-pilot Andreas Lubitz, Lufthansa and its CEO Carsten Spohr faced major questions about pilots' medical monitoring, safety and support for families. Spohr led the institutional response and promised long-term assistance.

State of the evidence

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Attribution

Institutional responsibility

Several families of Germanwings flight victims rejected compensation offers as inadequate and accused Lufthansa of lacking empathy and accountability. Some directly addressed Spohr in a public letter.

State of the evidence

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Attribution

Direct responsibility