FRANKFURT, March 12 (Reuters) - More than half of Lufthansa flights to and from Germany took place on Thursday, the first of two strike days by pilots over pensions, the airline said, although the
Lufthansa Maintains Over Half of Scheduled Flights Amid Pilot Strike in Germany
Impact and Developments of the Lufthansa Pilot Strike
Flight Operations During the Strike
FRANKFURT, March 12 (Reuters) - More than half of Lufthansa flights to and from Germany took place on Thursday, the first of two strike days by pilots over pensions, the airline said, although the union said more flights had been hit.
Union Actions and Airline Response
The VC union called strikes on Lufthansa passenger and cargo flights from German airports on Thursday and Friday, hitting the German flag carrier and passengers as the sector tries to cope with chaos caused by the Iran war.
Flight Schedule Adjustments
Lufthansa had said on Wednesday it would operate more than half of its scheduled flights during the two-day walkout, including 60% of long-haul routes and 80% of cargo flights.
"The reduced flight schedule is taking place as announced," a Lufthansa spokesperson said.
Union's Perspective on Disruption
However, VC played up the disruption, saying some 70% of Lufthansa flights had been grounded by 3 p.m local time (1400 GMT) on Thursday due to the industrial action, adding its estimate was based on solid data. It said it was still waiting to receive a negotiable offer from Lufthansa.
Effects at Frankfurt Airport
At Frankfurt airport, the airline's largest hub, operator Fraport recorded 426 cancellations from an original schedule of 1,168 take-offs and landings, representing a cancellation rate of 36%.
(Reporting by Ilona WissenbachWriting by Madeline ChambersEditing by Linda Pasquini)
