Lufthansa cancelled 800 flights due to industrial strike action in Germanyon Thursday.

The airline was hit by 24 hours of strikes from pilots and cabin crew yesterday amid a pay and pension disagreement. The strike was scheduled to begin at 12.01am and end at 11.59pm yesterday, although the knock-on impact of strikes is being felt today.

The company said the industrial action had caused close to 800 flights to be cancelled, disrupting travel plans of about 100,000 passengers. According to NDR, 4,800 pilots and roughly 20,000 cabin crew were called out on strike.

Lufthansasaid the strikes called by the Vereinigung Cockpit and UFO unions led to extensive cancellations, but didn’t give a specific figure. The departures board at the airline’s main Frankfurt hub suggested most of its flights from there on Thursday morning were canceled.

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Frankfurt Airport was notably calm in the morning on Thursday, as most passengers did not show up after being notified of the cancellations.

Lufthansa operates flights from several key UK airports, primarily connecting to its German hubs in Frankfurt and Munich. Major airports served include London Heathrow, London Gatwick, Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Newcastle.

Yesterday the airline said it was trying to rebook passengers onto flights by partner airlines and other companies from the Lufthansa group, which includes airlines such as Swiss, Austrian Airlines and Brussels Airlines.

The two unions called for the 24-hour walkouts on Tuesday. Vereinigung Cockpit called for walkouts on flights departing from Germany in a dispute over the pension system for pilots at the airline and its Lufthansa Cargo unit.

UFO called for members to strike on flights departing Frankfurt and Munich and flights by the Lufthansa Cityline unit in a dispute over its demand for negotiations on various issues.

"The simultaneous industrial action by pilots is a coincidence, but one that is welcome,' said UFO union representative Harry Jaeger, according to Reuters. "We want to annoy management, not passengers."

While the most significant impact of the strikes is now in the past, travellers should be aware of more upcoming disruptions. Industrial action is also scheduled for Italy on February 16, when a nationwide strike will take place for 24 hours and see pilots and cabin crew from ITA Airways and Vueling walk out over stalled contract negotiations. Airports including Milan Malpensa, Milan Linate, Rome Fiumicino, Venice Marco Polo and Naples International are expected to be impacted.

If you found or find yourself impacted by the strikes, it's important to know your rights. Affected passengers will be automatically rebooked if alternatives are available, with information sent by email.

Under European Union regulations (which cover UK travellers), passengers may be entitled to compensation payments of between £210 and £520 for short-term cancellations or significant delays, as company strikes are not considered "extraordinary circumstances" under EU law.