Lufthansa Pilots, Crews to Strike Thursday as Talks Fail

Deutsche Lufthansa AG faces severe disruptions on Thursday, when pilots and cabin crew for the company’s flagship airline plan to strike, grounding hundreds of flights in an escalation of a long-simmering labor dispute.

The proposed pilot walkout would start Feb. 12 at about 12:01 a.m. and last until 11:59 p.m., affecting all departures from German airports operated by Lufthansa and its cargo carrier, according to a letter from the Vereinigung Cockpit union. The announcement comes after talks failed to resolve differences over funding retirement pensions.