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Lufthansa cancels 400 flights due to airport staff strike

Mar 26, 2012, 15:56 GMT

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Berlin (dpa) - Strikes by airport staff seeking pay rises will massively disrupt air travel in Germany on Tuesday, the country's two main airlines said Monday.

Lufthansa said Monday it was cancelling more than 400 flights. Most of the cancellations are domestic connections and travellers were urged to trade their air tickets for train tickets instead.

The other airline, Air Berlin, said it had only cancelled eight flights but appealed to travellers to monitor its website.

Lufthansa said airports in Frankfurt, Munich, Dusseldorf, Cologne and Stuttgart would be hit by union action in support of a 6.5-per-cent pay increase for all public sector workers.

But a spokesman for the union negotiators, Willi Russ said: 'Our goal is not explicitly to shut down the entire air traffic system.'

Rather he said the Verdi union's aim is to ensure that the round of negotations set down for Thursday reaches a conclusion.

Last month, a small union representing ground controllers disrupted flights in Frankfurt before settling its claim.

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