Flights axed amid Frankfurt airport strike

Hundreds more flights have been cancelled at Frankfurt Airport as a strike by ground workers enters its second day.

Mike Peter Schweitzer, spokesman for airport operator Fraport AG, said "just over 290" flights had to be canceled but that the airport was otherwise "operating smoothly." Airline Lufthansa said that 68 flights within Europe had been called off.

Herbert Mai, executive in charge of labor relations for Fraport, said the airport was able to maintain 70 percent of its daily flights on Thursday, the first day of the strike, exceeding its goal of operating more than half its 1,300 daily takeoffs and landings.

"We think that we can process even more today so that the strike repercussions are lower than expected or feared," Mai said.

Workers walked off the job Thursday afternoon for seven hours, and were to be on strike all day Friday.

The GdF union is engaged in a dispute with airport operator Fraport over pay and working conditions for some 200 ground workers.

GdF spokesman Markus Siebers said the strike would be suspended Saturday and Sunday but would likely continue next week, although he said he could not sa

AP