German airline Lufthansa says it is canceling 84 long-haul flights because of a pilot strike.
The airline says some 20,000 travelers will be affected by the grounding today. A further 90 flights will take place as planned.
The pilots union, Vereinigung Cockpit, says it will extend its strike to include medium- and short-haul flights Wednesday. Lufthansa's 5,400 pilots want the airline to keep paying a transition payment for those wanting to retire early, and are opposed to a restructuring of the airline.
Lufthansa says passengers should check its website, www.Lh.Com , for details of forthcoming flight cancelations.
