Frankfurt (Germany), 10 Apr. (LaPresse) – Lufthansa cabin crew have gone on strike, causing the cancellation of hundreds of flights. From midnight, around 20,000 cabin crew members downed tools at the request of the Ufo trade union, in an attempt to break the deadlock in contract negotiations at both the parent company and its regional subsidiary, Lufthansa Cityline. This is the third major strike since the start of the year for Germany’s leading airline, following two previous strikes by pilots. Lufthansa has announced countermeasures, but had already cancelled numerous flights in advance: at the main Frankfurt hub, around 75% of the nearly 350 scheduled departures have been cancelled. The situation is similar for arrivals, coinciding with the final day of the Easter holidays in the Hesse region. The strike, scheduled to last until 10.00 pm, officially affects departures from German airports, particularly the Munich and Frankfurt hubs, but also other airports such as Leipzig/Halle, Berlin and Stuttgart. Lufthansa is urging passengers to check the status of their flights carefully. The strike was preceded by a warning strike and an internal ballot, which received broad support among staff. The protest stems from negotiations over the national collective agreement and, according to the union, the company’s unwillingness to negotiate a social agreement for Lufthansa Cityline, on which around 800 jobs depend.