Nearly half of Lufthansa’s services were cancelled today after pilots at the German airline began a four-day strike.

About 800 flights have been grounded, disrupting the travel plans of tens of thousands of passengers. A spokesperson for the airline said that further cancellations could be announced later today.

The airline’s long-haul routes have borne the brunt of the cancellations, while the majority of the carrier’s short-haul flights will run as usual. Lufthansa’s no-frills subsidiary, Germanwings, has also been affected.

Further cancellations are expected throughout the week, although the airline has asked for a court ruling to halt the strike with a decision expected on Tuesday.

Passengers affected by the industrial action will be offered alternative arrangements – including train tickets or flights with partner airlines – or a full refund.

Lufthansa has published an amended timetable of flights on its website, and is providing regular updates on its Twitter feed.

To read full London Telegraph story — Go Here Now.