AKIPRESS.COM - Germany's Lufthansa has cancelled 1,450 short and medium-haul flights, grounding over 200,000 passengers, after its pilots announced a 35-hour strike beginning early Monday afternoon, IBTimes reports.

Lufthansa said in a statement that pilots union Vereinigung Cockpi (VC) has called for a strike that will last from 1100 GMT (1200 BST) on 20 October until 2159 GMT (2259 BST) on 21 October.

The statement said the strike will not affect long-haul Lufthansa flights, flights operated by Austrian Airlines, Swiss and Lufthansa's low-cost unit Germanwings.

If it goes through, the walkout over an early retirement scheme dispute will mark the eighth stoppage to hit Europe's largest airline in under six months.