500 flights cancelled in Frankfurt due to Lufthansa strike

Around 20,000 flight attendants have been called on to stay off work until 10 pm (2000 GMT). The UFO union called the strike in an effort to break deadlocked wage negotiations with Lufthansa's core airline and its regional subsidiary Lufthansa CityLine, which is also affected by the stoppage. It marks the third major walkout this year at Germany's largest airline, following two rounds of pilot strikes. Lufthansa has announced contingency measures but had already cancelled hundreds of flights in advance. At Frankfurt, the airline's largest hub, around 75 of roughly 350 planned Lufthansa departures were cancelled, according to airport schedules. Landings were similarly affected. Officially, only departures in Germany are affected, including at the hubs in Munich and Frankfurt and at other airports such as Leipzig/Halle, Berlin and Stuttgart. However, due to aircraft being out of position at foreign destinations, many return flights for Easter holiday travellers are also expected to be cancelled. Lufthansa advised passengers to check their flight status before travelling, saying tickets can be rebooked or refunded. In cases of delays of more than three hours, passengers are entitled to compensation. The airline must also provide alternative transport, as well as meals and accommodation where necessary. The strike follows a warning strike and a union ballot that showed strong support among Lufthansa cabin crew for industrial action. The UFO union said the dispute centres on stalled talks over Lufthansa's collective agreement and the company's refusal to negotiate a social plan for Lufthansa CityLine.