Lufthansa has cancelled the vast majority of its flights scheduled for 2-4 April following industrial action by its pilots over a long-standing pay dispute.

More than 3,800 flights by Lufthansa, its cargo unit and low-cost arm Germanwings have been cancelled during the planned three-day walkout. The airline expects to operate just under 500 services by the mainline carrier and Germanwings, it says.

Pilots at the group’s subsidiaries Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines and Swiss International Air Lines as well as regional branches Lufthansa CityLine, Eurowings and Air Dolomiti are not included in the strike.

The walkouts will affect around 425,000 passengers and generate a double-digit million loss, says Lufthansa.

The dispute revolves around a new, general wage agreement and transitional pay arrangement covering early retirement. Lufthansa called off the latter contract in 2013.

Negotiations for a new general pay agreement have been going on for over two years. The previous contract expired in May 2012, but has since remained in place as no fresh deal could be reached.

Source: Cirium Dashboard