Lufthansa cancels almost all Budapest flights

Lufthansa has cancelled almost all of its Friday flights between Budapest and its key German hubs, Frankfurt and Munich, after cabin crew launched a one-day strike that is disrupting air travel across Germany.

According to Budapest Airport’s live schedule, nearly every Lufthansa departure from Budapest to Munich and Frankfurt was scrapped throughout the day, while most inbound services from Germany were also cancelled. The industrial action began just after midnight and is due to last until 10 PM, affecting all departures from Frankfurt and Munich as well as several regional routes.

Among the cancelled Budapest departures were the early 6:00 AM Munich service, multiple later Munich flights at 9:15 AM, 1:20 PM and 5:30 PM, as well as Frankfurt services scheduled for 9:35 AM, 11:55 AM, 2:15 PM and 7:20 PM. Arrivals from Germany were hit just as hard, with several Frankfurt and Munich services removed from the board across the day.

Strike triggered by stalled wage talks and job fears

The walkout was called by the UFO cabin crew union after collective wage negotiations with Lufthansa broke down. The union says the airline failed to present a workable offer, while talks over integrating the CityLine regional subsidiary into the new Lufthansa City Airlines structure have also stalled.

According to union representatives, the restructuring could put as many as 800 jobs at risk, HVG reports.

This is already the third major strike to hit Germany’s largest airline this year. The previous two rounds of disruption involved pilots, making 2026 an exceptionally turbulent period for Lufthansa passengers.

Frankfurt hub heavily affected, with 75% of departures cut

The disruption extends far beyond Hungary. At Frankfurt, Lufthansa’s largest hub, roughly three-quarters of the airline’s planned Friday departures were cancelled, with inbound traffic similarly affected. Munich, the other major transfer point for Budapest passengers, is also seeing widespread cancellations.

That means travellers flying from Budapest onward to long-haul destinations such as Los Angeles, Rome, Oslo or Zagreb via Germany are also likely to face missed connections, rebookings or significant delays.

For now, Saturday’s Budapest flights have not been removed from the timetable, offering some hope that normal operations may resume once the strike ends later tonight.

What Budapest travellers should do now

Passengers flying Lufthansa from Budapest today should check their booking status before leaving for the airport, as cancellations and automatic rebookings are still being processed.

The airline has said affected travellers should receive direct notifications by email, and many may be moved onto alternative Lufthansa Group or partner airline services where seats are available.

March’s strike: Lufthansa strike begins today: flights to and from Hungary hit, with transfer connections also at risk