Chaos ahead of Lufthansa strike

Berlin - Air travellers in Germany are set to face chaos this week after the country's largest airline, Lufthansa, announced plans Monday to cancel 200 flights in the face of a threatened three-day strike by pilots.

Lufthansa said it was cutting services from Monday through Sunday amid signs that retirement and pay talks with pilots had broken down.

The Vereinigung Cockpit union said the strike will hit every German airport from Wednesday through Friday.

The industrial action will also include Lufthansa's low-cost carrier Germanwings. The pilots are opposed to the airline's plans to end transition contracts, which were awarded to pilots retiring before the legal pension age of 65.