Lufthansa offers its captains at least 25% more money

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - German airline group Lufthansa is offering cockpit crew base pay hikes of at least 18% in three steps over the next three years in an effort to avert industrial action during the busy summer travel season, according to an internal memo to staff.

Including lump sums and inflation bonuses already promised last year, this would mean an increase of at least 25% for captains and of between 33% and more than 50% for co-pilots, according to the memo seen by Reuters on Thursday.

Lufthansa's roughly 5,200 pilots at flagship carrier Lufthansa and freight group Lufthansa Cargo are due to vote on the wage offer between now and Aug. 10.

Lufthansa's Chief Operations Officer Karl Brandes said in the memo that the offered pay hikes would mean notable cost burdens and less flexibility in operations.

"Nevertheless, we consider the result justifiable, because it offers an opportunity for a solution without conflict," he said.

Pilots' union Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) has not yet commented on details of the wage offer and could not immediately be reached for comment. An agreement between the union and Lufthansa would mean the airline and its passengers would be spared walkouts by pilots for three years.

(Reporting by Ilona Wissenbach; Writing by Maria Sheahan; Editing by Miranda Murray)