Week-long pilot strike compels Lufthansa to slash 900 flights

Lufthansa's offer of a mediation process to settle the wage dispute has been flatly rejected by the pilots' union

German airline Lufthansa cancelled further 890 flights on Wedenesday as pilots remained on strike in a long-running wage dispute.

Lufthansa said some 98,000 passengers were grounded by the walkout, which flight crew extended to long-haul flights after Wedensday's action affected short-haul services.

The airline has sought to limit the impact of the strike by introducing an emergency timetable.

Some 4,461 flights have been cancelled in the six days of strikes since last Wednesday, according to Lufthansa.

Pilots on Wednesday launched their 15th round of industrial action since the spring of 2014 after a two-day pause on Sunday and Monday that saw talks break down with the management.

Directors and pilots have failed to agree on a wage increase, and Lufthansa's offer of a mediation process has been flatly rejected by pilots' union Vereinigung Cockpit.

The flight crew organisation planned a demonstration at Lufthansa's hub airport at Frankfurt on Wedenessay morning.

Other airlines in the group, including Eurowings, Swiss, Austrian Airlines and Brussels Airlines, are not affected by the strike and are running a normal service.

The union has not called for the strike to continue till Thursday so far.