The Philippine Online Chronicles

Only one day after launching a strike, Lufthansa pilots in Germany agreed to suspend the strike until March 8. The German airline and a key union, the Cockpit Association, has agreed to temporarily halt the brewing strike to give way for further negotiations.

Problematic take off

Lufthansa had applied to a Frankfurt labour court for an injunction to halt the "excessive" strike, indiatimes.com reports. The union agreed in front of Judge Silke Kohlschitter to cease the dispute, allowing normal Lufthansa flights to take off Tuesday. But the pilots' return does not guarantee a smooth take off. According to boston.com, Lufthansa spokesperson Andreas Bartels confirmed that an estimated 4,000 pilots will return to work today. However, it would take some time before normal operations resume.

Pilots lose (aircraft) wings

The Lufthansa pilots' protests are due to concerns about budget cuts and possible employment termination. Lufthansa aims to cut 1 billion euros ($1.36 billion) worth of costs by 2011, in hopes of balancing the expense while expanding abroad. Pilots also decry the possibility of losing their jobs to cheaper crews from Lufthansa's smaller airlines in other countries.

The pilots' strike could seriously hamper the flight operations. As Kevin Voigt of CNN reports, the strike would cost the airline “about $33 million a day.”

Philippine airline faces own hurdle

German flights are not the only ones experiencing major flight hurdles. In the Philippines, Cebu Pacific airline face charges after a mother and her child who had autism were asked to get off the plane. There was already one other special child onboard, prompting the airline personnel to cite a company policy that disallows two special children to be on board the same flight, Gmanews.tv reports.

Although Cebu Pacific has expressed its regret and apology, the mother continues to press charges.