The German pilots' union, VC, has announced a scheduled five-hour strike at Discover Airlines, a leisure subsidiary of the Lufthansa Group, just days before the Christmas holiday period. The union's statement on Friday detailed that all flights operated by the Airbus 320 and 330 fleet departing from Germany between 8 am and 1 pm (0700-1200 GMT) on Saturday will be impacted.

Responding to the announcement, a spokesperson for Discover Airlines indicated that 16 flights were initially planned during the affected period. The airline aims to mitigate passenger disruptions by facilitating rebookings onto alternative Lufthansa Group flights or rescheduling flights outside the strike window. Despite expressing regret over the strike decision, the spokesperson noted that discussions with VC regarding a potential agreement were nearing conclusion. However, specific details regarding the number of affected passengers remained undisclosed.

While VC did not provide an exact count of participating pilots, a spokesperson said that the strike action was a necessary step to underscore the union's commitment to securing its inaugural collective agreement.

Established in 2021, Discover Airlines operates as Lufthansa Group's dedicated leisure carrier, primarily focusing on transporting travellers from Frankfurt and Munich to popular holiday destinations, as mentioned on its official website.

(With Reuters inputs)