German airline Lufthansa has cancelled around 1,350 flights after pilots announced they would strike for two-days from today (December 1) affecting more than 150,000 passengers.
The airline’s ninth walkout of the year will hit short and medium-haul flights across Germany from 1200 until 2300.
The Lufthansa strike has been called by the Vereinigung Cockpit union, which is protesting plans to change the current scheme that sees pilots retire at 55 and retain some of their pay until they reach the state pension age.
Lufthansa said it had made concessions in recent talks, including giving the pilots a 5% pay rise.
The strikes this year have knocked $160m (£102m) off the airlines' operating profits.
The union said "despite all efforts for compromise proposals" by Lufthansa pilots during several rounds of negotiations since October, it had been unable to come to a satisfactory agreement with the company's management.
Lufthansa.com