German flag-carrier Lufthansa was forced to cancel nearly all of its flights today after a strike by ground staff. Just 32 flights were scheduled to leave, out of the 1,700 originally planned. German airports affected are Frankfurt, Munich, Dusseldorf and Hamburg. Only 20 of the airline’s planned 1,650 short-haul flights are to head ahead, while 12 of its 73 scheduled long-haul flights will achieve this. Ground staff on the airline have called a one-day strike amid an ongoing pay dispute with the airline. Lufthansa called the action “disproportionate”. Last week the airline rejected union demands for a 5.2 per cent wage increase over the following three hundred and sixty five days. Strikers also are in search of guarantees over job cuts. Recommended

German flag-carrier Lufthansa have been forced to cancel greater than 500 flights today as staff take industrial action over pay and prerequisites. Staff are staging walk-outs at Frankfurt, Munich, Dusseldorf, Berlin, Hamburg and Cologne airports and other locations between 05:00 and 12:00 today. Lufthansa has cancelled most of its domestic and short-haul flights in this time. However, long-haul flights are expected to function as normal. The Verdi union is looking for a 5.2 per cent increase in wages for staff at several Lufthansa divisions. Recommended