Berlin, Dec 1 (IANS/EFE): German airline Lufthansa has canceled some 1,350 flights due to a strike by its pilots that began Monday and is set to last until Tuesday morning, affecting an estimated 150,000 passengers.
The walkout was announced Sunday by the Vereinigung Cockpit Union after the collapse Friday of the latest round of negotiations between the management of the world's largest airline and the union, which wants to change the early retirement system for pilots.
According to figures presented by the airline in late October, eight strikes by pilots since March have cost the company nearly $211 million.
A company spokesman Sunday described the strike as "disproportionate" and appealed to the pilots to resume negotiations immediately.