Lufthansa, Air Berlin cut flights on German airport strike

Lufthansa, Air Berlin and other airlines cancelled hundreds of flights in Germany Wednesday as a strike by public-services workers at airports hobbled operations in Frankfurt, Munich and Cologne. Lufthansa eliminated 895 flights, or 60% of the services it had scheduled for Wednesday. Munich airport, where a new E900m (US$1.02b) terminal opened Tuesday, was hardest hit, with 700 flights cancelled including 545 from Lufthansa. In Frankfurt, there were 392 cancellations. Air Berlin dropped at least 43 domestic flights slated for Munich and Cologne and re-routed long-haul flights to Nuremberg. “These strikes are totally inappropriate,” German interior minister Thomas de Maiziere said. With the govt offering raises of 3% and other concessions in the last round of negotiations, “they should discuss it first instead of striking.” <br/>