Lufthansa passengers will have to endure two more days of travel chaos because of a strike by pilots extended to Friday in response to the German carrier's new early retirement scheme. The strike had already led the German carrier to cancel about 750 domestic flights on Wednesday, disrupting the travel plans of about 80,000 passengers. This represents about half of the domestic services that Lufthansa planned to operate on Wednesday.

Halfway through Wednesday's action the pilots' union, Cockpit, instructed its members operating long-haul and cargo services to walk off the job yesterday. Later on Wednesday the union added Friday to its strike plans, calling on pilots of short and medium-haul flights to strike.

The strike set down for yesterday and Friday represents the 13th time in a year that the pilots have gone on strike as talks continue to break down between Lufthansa and the union because of the airline's plans to raise the retirement age from 55 to 60.

Lufthansa said that despite the strike it would be able to operate 43 of its planned 85 intercontinental passenger flights originating in Germany. None of the flights of the airline's cargo affiliate would be affected, Lufthansa said.

The union warned the airline on Tuesday that its 9,300 members could sustain its industrial campaign for several years. Launched in April last year, the pilots' industrial action has so far cost Lufthansa about 220 million euros. Most passengers who would be affected by the all-day strike will be offered bookings on alternative flights or rail services.

Lufthansa is battling to restructure its operations and to cut costs in the face of tough competition from low-budget airlines and new Middle East-based carriers.