Over 1,000 Lufthansa flights canceled as staff strikes

By KIRSTEN GRIESHABER
Associated Press

BERLIN (AP) — More than 1,000 Lufthansa flights have been canceled because of a one-day strike by the airline’s German ground staff. The strike is affecting tens of thousands of passengers in the latest travel turmoil to hit Europe. About 134,000 passengers had to change or cancel their travel plans on Wednesday. German news agency dpa reported that Lufthansa’s main hubs in Frankfurt and Munich were most affected, but flights were also canceled in Duesseldorf, Hamburg, Berlin, Bremen, Hannover, Stuttgart and Cologne. The airline advised affected passengers not to go to airports because most service counters would be unstaffed. A labor union called the strike as part of pay negotiations for about 20,000 employees.