BERLIN, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) -- Pilots of Eurowings, a subsidiary of Germany's flag carrier Lufthansa, went on strike on Thursday, leading to around half of all flights of the airline being canceled.
The German Airline Pilots' Association (VC) called on its members at Eurowings to stop working for 24 hours after negotiations on a so-called collective labor agreement at the airline had failed.
The pilots' main demand is to "ease the burden on employees" by reducing maximum flight duty times and increasing rest times, according to the VC. The current collective labor agreement has been in place since 2015 without any adjustments.
"This is excessive in times when millions of people are afraid of a cold winter and the next heating bill," commented Eurowings Board member Kai Duve.
Despite support from parent company Lufthansa, around 180 flights have been canceled at Cologne Bonn and Duesseldorf airports. Travelers are advised to check the status of their flight on the airline's website or on the customer app.
"The situation at the airport is very calm," a spokesperson of Cologne Bonn airport told Xinhua. Except for the flights canceled by Eurowings, there are "no irregularities in the flight schedule, and there are no waiting times."
Just like elsewhere in Europe, Germany's airports are struggling with staff shortages after mass layoffs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thousands of flights were canceled during the summer tourist season due to insufficient security staff.
