Frankfurt — Deutsche Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr says Europe’s third-largest airline must hold its nerve and face down striking pilots if it is to deliver meaningful savings and survive as a force in aviation. Taking on the pilots "is not about being tough" but "about the future of Lufthansa", Spohr said in Berlin on the eve of a second day of walkouts by cockpit crew. If the company caved in to pay demands it had "no chance of survival", he said. Lufthansa cancelled almost 1,900 flights at its mainline operation until midnight on Thursday, wiping out 40% of the timetable, including premium trips to Beijing and Los Angeles, and disrupting travel for more than 215,000 people. Scrapped services may top 2,500 by the end of a third day of action on Friday, when the effect will be limited to short-haul operations. Harry Hohmeister, who heads Lufthansa’s mainline brand, said separately that each day of strikes had so far cost about €10m, with Friday’s action set to cost half that. Forward...
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