German airline Lufthansa has cancelled around 600 flights on Thursday due to strike action by ground staff, baggage handlers and maintenance workers.
The public-services sector union Verdi has called for a strike among its members in a long-running dispute over pay.
Lufthansa said as a result of the industrial action it’s cancelling “almost all domestic and European flights” scheduled before 2pm at both Frankfurt and Munich airports. It also expects its bases in Cologne, Dusseldorf, Hamburg, Hannover and Stuttgart to face “significant” disruptions.
The carrier has advised anyone expecting to travel on Thursday to visit Lufthansa.com and check the status of their flight before leaving for the airport.
The union said it expects around 1,400 people to take part in the strike action at Frankfurt airport alone.
Lufthansa said the strike would cost it “millions of euros”. A walkout last month by security staff at Frankfurt airport, which brought chaos to the terminal as people were unable to get through security checks, cost the carrier 3 million euros in operating profit.
Last week Lufthansa pilots voted to strike over pay and working conditions although the union, Vereinigung Cockpit, has yet to set a date.
Lufthansa.com