Passengers due to leave for Germany via Lufthansa flights from New Delhi airport were left looking for alternatives after the airline cancelled flights as pilots went on strike on Friday.
Pilots at Lufthansa went on strike, forcing the German airline to cancel hundreds of flights, stranding holidaymakers.
Labour union Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) had called on more than 5 000 Lufthansa pilots to stage a 24-hour walkout, saying the latest round of wage talks had failed.
“I had booked two-way tickets with Lufthansa. I arrived on a Lufthansa flight and was about to return on the same. I don’t know when will I get the refund for the cancellation. I booked another ticket on the spot,” said a passenger, Rajeshwer Singh.
Another passenger, Jaspal said he paid double charges for a ticket with a 14-15 hour layover in Dubai.
Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Indira Gandhi International Airport, Tanu Sharma said the situation at the airport was under control after around 150 people had gathered demanding a refund for their relatives on the sudden cancellation of two Lufthansa flights.
Strikes and staff shortages have already forced airlines including Lufthansa to cancel thousands of flights this summer and caused hours-long queues at major airports, frustrating holidaymakers keen to travel after COVID-19 lockdowns.
VC’s demands also come against the backdrop of soaring energy and food prices, with German inflation rising to its highest level in almost 50 years in August.
Lufthansa canceled about 800 flights at its main bases in Frankfurt and Munich, affecting 130 000 passengers.
Last month, Lufthansa’s management reached a pay deal with ground staff, averting further walkouts after a strike had forced it to cancel more than 1 000 flights.
Lufthansa also faces possible walkouts by pilots of subsidiary Eurowings, who have voted for industrial action but are due to hold a round of talks with management next week.
