Lufthansa strike grounds nearly 800 flights in Germany

By Ayhan Simsek

BERLIN (AA) - Lufthansa canceled nearly 800 flights across Germany on Thursday as pilots and cabin crew staged a coordinated strike, grounding most of the airline's domestic operations.

At Frankfurt, Germany's largest aviation hub, 450 of 1,117 scheduled flights were canceled. Munich Airport saw 275 of 920 planned flights scrapped. The 24-hour strike affected about 100,000 passengers.

The pilot union VC, which represents approximately 4,800 employees, is demanding higher employer contributions to occupational pensions. Members authorized the strike in a ballot last fall. Lufthansa management has rejected the demands, citing high costs and falling profits.

In a separate dispute, the UFO cabin crew union conducted a "warning strike" to force negotiations on collective agreements at Lufthansa's main operation and its regional subsidiary, Cityline. Union leaders say the company's current corporate strategy threatens about 800 jobs.