Berlin/London (CNN) – Lufthansa has canceled more than 1,300 flights scheduled for Friday after the Verdi union called for all-day strikes by airport workers at seven German airports, including Frankfurt, Munich and Hamburg.
Lufthansa, one of Europe’s largest airlines, suspended all flight operations in Frankfurt and Munich for Friday, it said in a statement on its website on Thursday.
“We regret the enormous impact of this warning strike, which is at the expense of our passengers,” said Lufthansa board member Michael Niggemann in the statement. “We are not a collective bargaining party and have no influence on this – but our guests and we are massively affected.”
A total of 2,340 flights were canceled by affected airlines, disrupting the travel of more than 295,000 passengers, according to the German airport association ADV.
Lufthansa is offering “as far as possible” alternative connections and rebooking on rail connections, the airline said. She expects regular flight operations to be “largely back to normal” on Saturday, February 18.
According to the airport association ADV, more than 295,000 passengers nationwide were affected.
The disruption comes just two days after a company-wide IT outage at Lufthansa sparked a spate of flight cancellations and delays that left thousands of passengers stranded at airports on Wednesday.
The Verdi trade union is demanding a 10.5% salary increase for its members. Inflation fueled by high energy and food prices is eating away at wages.