Lufthansa cancels 800 flights

FRANKFURT: German airline giant Lufthansa said it will cancel "more than 800" flights on Tuesday as public-sector workers walk out on strike for more pay, hobbling major airports like Frankfurt.

"Due to this strike tomorrow, Lufthansa will have to cancel 800 out of the 1,600 scheduled flights, including 58 long-haul flights," the group said in a statement, adding that around 90,000 passengers would be affected.

Service would be back to normal on Wednesday after the strike, which will see groups like ground crew and airport firefighters walk off the job between 5:00 am and 6:00 pm local time (0300 to 1600 GMT), Lufthansa said.

Frankfurt airport -- Germany’s largest -- warned on its website of "significant delays and cancellations" affecting many airlines, asking travellers to check with their carrier whether their flight would go ahead. Even passengers whose flights were not cancelled should plan to arrive at the airport earlier than usual as longer queues are expected, Lufthansa said.