Lufthansa pilots say they will be staying on strike until the end of the three-day stoppage.<br /><br />Day two of the strike over retirement arrangements has seen about 700 flights cancelled at Frankfurt, Europe’s third-largest passenger hub.<br /><br />Altogether 3,800 flights are being grounded, that is nine out of ten during the strike period.<br /><br />The pilots want Lufthansa to reinstate a scheme allowing them to retire early and still receive a significant proportion of their pay.<br /><br />The airline says there is no need for the plan as the law now allows pilots to fly until they are older, reflecting longer life expectancies.<br /><br />The check-in desks have been re-named “re-booking desks”. <br /><br />Free drinks and snacks are available for passengers still persevering, but in fact many have already booked onto other airlines, gone by train or made other arrangements.<br /><br />With little prospect of an early end to the strike, Lufthansa is aiming for a return to normal service on Saturday.
