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Lufthansa cancels 1 350 flights as pilots strike

Frankfurt - Lufthansa plans to cancel about 1 350 or half its scheduled flights over the next two days after the German airline's pilots launched their ninth strike this year over a new retirement scheme.

The airline said the nation-wide strike, which starts at noon 13:00 on Monday, will hit about 150 000 passengers who were scheduled to travel on the carrier's short-, medium- and long-haul flights.

Cockpit, the union representing Lufthansa's 5 400 pilots, said the strike will bring to a standstill all of the airline's short- and medium-haul flights until 23.59am on Tuesday.

Pilots on long-haul flights will walk off the job at 3 am on Tuesday until 23.59 on Tuesday. Those flying Lufthansa Cargo aircraft will also strike from 3 am until 11.59 Tuesday.

Flights on Lufthansa budget offshoot Germanwings will not be affected.

Industrial action by pilots has knocked about €160m off Lufthansa's operating profit, the airline said.

Talks between the airline and the pilots broke down Saturday as the two sides failed to reach an agreement on a new retirement scheme.

Lufthansa wants to raise the retirement age from 55 to 60.

The strike was in October. On-and-off labour stoppages since April have forced Lufthansa and its subsidiary airlines to cancel 6 000 flights.

The German railways, Deutsche Bahn, said it plans to add extra services to help Lufthansa passengers reach their destination.

READ THIS NEXT: Lufthansa cuts 2015 forecast

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