FRANKFURT
Lufthansa announced that it has cancelled 790 short- and medium-haul flights scheduled for Friday, on the third day of a strike by pilots.
The German flag carrier said in a statement on its website that it was planning to operate three-quarters of its scheduled flights for Friday using alternative methods.
The German pilots' union Vereinigung Cockpit decided Thursday night to continue its strike for a fourth day on Saturday, this time on long-haul and cargo flights.
In a statement on its website, the union said that its members will not fly any long-haul and cargo flights between 23:01 GMT on Friday and 22:59 GMT on Saturday. The strike will not affect the flights of subsidiary companies of Lufthansa, Germanwings and Eurowings, the union said.
The union, which represents 5,400 pilots at Lufthansa, has been in conflict with management since April last year due to a major disagreement over plans to change the current pension scheme, which presently allows pilots to retire at the age of 59 - six years earlier than the official retirement age.
The union staged 11 strikes so far this year, leading to the cancellation of thousands of flights.
Lufthansa said the strikes have so far led to losses of around €220 million ($233.03 million).
