A strike by Lufthansa pilots forced the German carrier to cancel more than 2,100 flights creating confusion and chaos.
The pilots reportedly called for a two-day strike which started Monday, further aggravating the travellers' burden after a recent weekend-long train stoppage caused millions of passengers stranded.
The Vereinigung Cockpit union already called for a 35-hour walk-out and cancellation of the German carrier's short haul fleet which started on Monday.
The pilots' union initially planned for a one-day strike for short-haul routes but then decided to continue its rally until Tuesday midnight, now involving Lufthansa's long-haul fleet, which has a total of 5,400 pilots working on that division.
Lufthansa's long haul fleets included Airbus A380, A340 and A330 and Boeing 747 were suspended on 6 am Tuesday and continued until midnight.
The strike reportedly led to the cancellation of more than 1,400 flights between Manchester, London, Birmingham, Edinburgh and several other German cities, affecting 200,000 travellers.
However, Lufthansa remains confident that it is still capable of operating 700 or one-third of the flights with 'volunteers' and management pilots working hand-in-hand.
Lufthansa further reassured that the flights operated by Brussels Airlines, Austrian Airlines, Germanwings, SWISS and Air Dolomiti were not affected by the strike and will continue with its operation as usual.
Moreover, the Cologne, Germany-based carrier is said to have already took action and offered to exchange the tickets of the passengers whose flights have been cancelled for a train ticket, and had already reserved 4,000 hotel rooms for those who were stranded.
The strike is reportedly the eighth time the pilots have performed a walkout this year.
The union allegedly demanded retirement benefits from Lufthansa to "keep paying a transition payment for those who want to retire early."
"The strikes are not only causing significant financial damage but are also damaging our image, the consequences of which are significant and not yet clear," said Lufthansa's chief financial officer, Simone Menne.
Meanwhile, train drivers of German's national railway also staged a strike this weekend over issues in their pay-demanding a five per cent pay increase and a shorter work week.
