Cologne — Pilots with Lufthansa subsidiary Eurowings walked out on Monday in a fresh industrial action to press their demands for better pay and more rest time.
The strike began as planned, a spokesman for pilots' union Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) told dpa, as no new offer was forthcoming from the airline.
Some 240 out of 488 flights had to be cancelled, Eurowings said later in the day.
Eurowings said it expects to be able to carry out more than half of its scheduled flight programme for Tuesday and Wednesday if the strike continues.
The union had lost its sense of proportion, said Eurowings finance chief Kai Duve. Every day of strike cost the firm millions and risked jobs, he said.
It is the second time in less than two weeks that pilots at Lufthansa's budget carrier have stopped working.
During the first strike on October 6, about half of all flights were cancelled, leaving tens of thousands of passengers to make other plans or postpone their journeys.
One key sticking point surrounds free days. VC is demanding that pilots get 14 more free days per year. The firm is currently offering 10.
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