Lufthansa Pledges to Beat Strike as Pilots to Walk Out Saturday
- Dispute amounts to a battle for airline’s future, Spohr says
- Union says CEO aims to destroy it, extends action to weekend
A flight departure board shows canceled Lufthansa flight information at Frankfurt Airport on Nov. 23.
Photographer: Alex Kraus/Bloomberg/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Deutsche Lufthansa AG Chief Executive Officer Carsten Spohr said Europe’s third-largest airline must hold its nerve and face down striking pilots if it’s to deliver savings needed to survive, as their union gave notice that the conflict will stretch to a fourth straight day.
Taking on the pilots “is not about being tough,” but “about the future of Lufthansa,” Spohr said in an interview in Berlin. If the company caves in to pay demands it has “no chance of survival” he said.