© Ralph Orlowski / Reuters Members of cabin crew union UFO stand during a strike in Frankfurt airport, Germany, November 6, 2015
Lufthansa has canceled 520 flights scheduled for Saturday, with at least 58,000 passengers expected to be affected as cabin crew went on their longest-ever strike in a 2 year-long pensions dispute. Cabin staff joined the strike for the first time.
The Independent Flight Attendants Organization (UFO) plans to stage walkouts over the course of the next six days.
Strikes by pilots have already cost Lufthansa 130 million euros so far this year. Equinet analyst Jochen Rothenbacher told Reuters that walkout costs could total 20 million euros ($21 million) a day, depending on the number of cancellations. Should the union strike for seven days, as promised, it could cost the company 140 million euros.
All European and domestic services have been scrapped, with the exception of some flights between Munich and Frankfurt, as well as three Frankfurt-London Heathrow links. No intercontinental flights will be hit, however, the airline said, with the exception of one connection between Dusseldorf and Newark, New Jersey.
Saturday's stoppage will last until 2200 GMT, UFO said. UFO reassured that
no strike is planned on Sunday because most people traveling that day will be doing so in a private capacity, not on business.
Comment: This is one of many heartbreaking stories concerning the Sinai A321 plane crash.See more: