Lufthansa strike leads to hundreds of flight cancellations in Germany

BERLIN (AA) - German flag carrier Lufthansa canceled hundreds of flights on Tuesday due to a strike by its ground staff at the country’s major airports.

The strike began at 4:00 a.m. local time (0300GMT) and was set to continue until 7.10 a.m. (0610GMT) on Wednesday at seven airports, affecting over 100,000 passengers.

At Frankfurt airport, the country’s busiest international hub, over 600 departures and incoming Lufthansa flights were canceled, according to public broadcaster Hessische Rundfunk.

Around 400 planned flights to and from Munich airport, another major hub, were also cancelled, and passengers were advised to check the current status of their flight before traveling to the airport.

Lufthansa ground staff at Berlin, Cologne-Bonn, Dusseldorf, Hamburg, and Stuttgart airports also joined in the strike action, according to the Verdi trade union.

In the ongoing collective bargaining dispute, the union is demanding a 12.5% rise and no less than a €500 ($540) monthly wage hike for around 25,000 ground personnel, and a one-time €3,000 ($3,250) bonus to offset a cost-of-living crisis.

A new round of negotiations between Lufthansa’s management and Verdi is scheduled for Wednesday.