The strike began at 2200 GMT on Sunday and follows a breakdown in talks between the union and the airline and a vote in favor of strike action by pilots, Cockpit said.

The walkout will affect passengers at a number of airports across Germany, including Lufthansa’s main hubs at Frankfurt and Munich, the union said. A Lufthansa spokeswoman said the carrier would seek to keep the impact on passengers to a minimum.

In a separate dispute over pay for ground staff and cabin crew at Lufthansa, talks are due to resume between the carrier and the ver.di union on Wednesday after they failed to reach a deal this week. (Reuters)