# Lufthansa Cancels 1,000+ Flights as Ground Staff Strike Hits Major Hubs

German airline Lufthansa is facing massive disruption as trade union ver.di's 27-hour warning strike kicks off Wednesday morning. The carrier has already axed nearly all flights from Frankfurt and Munich—its two biggest hubs—affecting roughly 134,000 passengers combined.

**The damage breakdown:**
- **Frankfurt hub**: 678 flights canceled (92,000 passengers impacted)
- **Munich hub**: 345 flights canceled (42,000 passengers impacted)
- Stock reaction: Lufthansa shares dropped 2.47% to €5.88 in German trading

About 20,000 ground workers walked out after contract talks stalled. Management offered salary hikes of 10%+ for lower pay grades and 6% for higher earners over 12 months, but ver.di rejected it as insufficient.

Lufthansa's HR chief called the strike timing "disproportionate" during peak summer travel season, but the airline acknowledged capacity constraints for rebooking affected passengers. Thursday and Friday could see additional delays as operations ramp back up.

This is the kind of labor showdown hitting European carriers hard right now—supply chain friction meets post-pandemic travel demand.