Lufthansa’s budget airline Germanwings has suffered “significant” financial losses due to last week’s six-hour strike by pilots’ trade union group Cockpit.
The German carrier has confirmed that the strike on Friday between 0400 and 1000 GMT caused 116 flights to be cancelled and affected 15,000 passengers.
The strike, by the Vereinigung Cockpit union, was called in protest at plans to change the current scheme in which pilots retire at 55 and retain some of their pay until they reach the state pension age.
“Germanwings suffered significant financial loss as a result of the strike,” the airline said in a statement. “Germanwings deeply regrets any inconvenience caused to passengers as a result of this industrial action. The airline has striven to keep the affects of the strike action to a minimum.”
The Lufthansa group employs over 9,000 pilots - 700 work at Germanwings.
Germanwings.com