Pilots' union threatens renewed strikes at Lufthansa

Pilots union Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) threatened renewed strike action at Lufthansa, saying the German flag carrier had rejected its offer of concessions in a long-running dispute that has cost the airline hundreds of millions of euros.

Walkouts could start any time and could hit Lufthansa, its cargo arm Lufthansa Cargo and its budget carrier Germanwings, VC said in a statement on Wednesday.

Lufthansa denied it had turned down the offer and said it regretted that VC had declared the negotiations a failure. "We hope that talks can resume," a spokesman for Lufthansa said.

Lufthansa pilots have staged more than a dozen strikes since April last year to protest against plans by management to change retirement benefits and lower costs via expansion of a new budget carrier, Eurowings.