Turbulence at the beginning of the 1990s: The global economy suffers from the consequences of the New York stock market crash of 1987, the price of oil rises drastically, also as a result of the Gulf War in Iraq in 1991. Passenger numbers decline and airlines are under immense price pressure, many of them stumble.

The state-owned Lufthansa, the largest airline, begins a tough restructuring program in 1992 as a prelude to its privatization. Many jobs are at stake - VC and DAG negotiate good conditions for their members and prevent dismissals for operational reasons.

In March 1993, VC, DAG, ÖTV and UFO jointly protest against a planned air traffic agreement between Germany and the USA, which essentially accelerates the deregulation of international air traffic.

When Lufthansa is fully privatized in 1994, VC and DAG negotiate a good pension scheme for their members. However, the differences between VC and DAG become more pronounced and the organizations split on 30 June 1999. For VC this is a major step since it is now both a professional association and an independent trade union.