The Lufthansa Group is currently only recording around half of the passengers it had in the first quarter of 2019. Nevertheless, there are clear signs of recovery and there is no intention to lay off pilots for operational reasons.

Through a so-called volunteer program, Lufthansa cut pilots. The carrier also wants to offer co-pilots the opportunity to resign voluntarily. Collective part-time agreements can also solve the existing excess staff. Lufthansa is still in contact with the social partners on this. In view of this, Lufthansa Airlines is refraining from operationally-related redundancies for the cockpit staff.

"We have worked hard over the past few weeks and months to be able to avert redundancies in the cockpit of our core brand for operational reasons - despite the serious effects of the pandemic. It's a great success that we managed to do this," explains Human Resources Director Michael Niggemann.

Shortly after the start of the corona pandemic, Germanwings flight operations were closed. Lufthansa explains that some of the pilots can switch to Eurowings until March 31, 2022. Jobs at Lufthansa in Munich are to be offered for 80 more. Solutions are currently being sought for the remaining pilots in order to offer them the prospect of continued employment in an existing or new flight operation of the Lufthansa Group.

In the long term, the global recovery in demand in air traffic will lead to significantly better prospects for jobs in the cockpit - inside and outside the Lufthansa Group. Therefore, the new flight school of the Lufthansa Group under the umbrella of Lufthansa Aviation Training will start training young pilots in the summer of 2022. The approximately 24-month training takes place for the theoretical part in Bremen or Zurich; Locations in Goodyear/USA, Grenchen/CH and Rostock-Laage/D are planned for practical training. In the future, the training will lead to the acquisition of an EASA-certified ATP license for entry opportunities within and outside the Lufthansa Group. The new concept focuses on the quality of training and maximizing career prospects for graduates.