Cabin crew at Germany’s Lufthansa stage 2nd day of strikes

German airline Lufthansa cancelled 520 flights scheduled for Saturday, grounding 58,000 passengers as cabin staff went on a week-long blitz of walkouts in a long-running battle over cost cuts.

Strikes are expected to continue for a week, rotating around different airports. On the first day of a planned week of protest over failed pension talks, flight attendants were instructed to strike at Frankfurt, Lufthansa’s biggest hub, and Duesseldorf between 1300 and 2200 GMT, affecting around 37,500 passengers. But on short and medium flights within Europe there would be “widespread cancellations”. But union head Nicoley Baublies said passengers booked on flights from Monday to Friday should not expect to fly with Lufthansa.

The stoppage by the flight attendants’ union UFO initially began at 13:00 GMT Friday and affected flights to and from the airports of Frankfurt and Duesseldorf.

The airline said it aimed to maintain “at least eight long-haul flights” departing from Frankfurt during the stoppage. Munich will be unaffected by walkouts through the weekend because of local travelers returning at the end of school vacations in southern Germany.

The cabin crew union UFO announced on Friday it would not stage any walkouts on Sunday ‎so as to spare the leisure travellers who predominantly travel on Sundays.

Lufthansa flight crew members stand with a dog at Frankfurt Airport during an initial strike over salaries at Frankfurt and Dusseldorf airports.

The walkout comes after Lufthansa and the union failed to reach an agreement in a long-running row over early retirement benefits and pensions. Strikes by pilots have already cost Lufthansa 130 million euros so far this year.Lufthansa shares were up almost three percent today, nearly recovering from Thursday, when they closed down 4 per cent after the union confirmed it would strike.

Lufthansa reserved 2,500 hotel rooms in Frankfurt to help stranded passengers.

“We regret that is has come to this escalation, but negotiations (with management) have reached a point where there is no alternative but to strike”, it said. They have even threatened us, saying that if we strike our jobs are going to be in danger. Should the union strike for seven days, as promised, it could cost the company 140 million euros.

“Lufthansa will do its utmost to keep the effects of the strike to the minimum and to inform passengers as soon as possible”.

Last week, Lufthansa said it was raising its full-year forecasts after low oil prices and positive passenger numbers lifted profits in the third quarter.