Germany’s flagship carrier Lufthansa has now been forced to cancel almost 1,800 flights at airports across the country after a strike by pilots was extended until Friday.<br /><br /> It’s the fourteenth strike in two and a half year long pay dispute between the airline unions. <br /><br /> On Tuesday, Lufthansa lost a last ditch attempt to halt the walkout.<br /><br /> It is estimated that 215,000 passengers are affected, although the strike’s 24 hour extension will only affect short haul flights.<br /><br /> Lufthansa’s CEO insists that despite a record profit in 2015, it’s had no choice but to cut costs to compete with leaner rivals such as Ryanair on short-haul routes and Emirates on long-haul flights. <br /><br /> Carsten Spohr said he expects the strike to cost between seven and nine million euros a day.<br />
