Pilots at Lufthansa, Germany's largest airline, began a two-day strike at midnight, with the pilots' union Vereinigung Cockpit warning that hundreds of flights on Monday and Tuesday are expected to be cancelled, particularly at major hubs such as Frankfurt and Munich. The walkout, which also involves staff at subsidiaries including Lufthansa Cargo and Cityline, marks the fourth strike at the carrier this year and follows a separate cabin crew stoppage last Friday. The dispute centres on pay and pension conditions at Cityline, a Lufthansa subsidiary that operates mainly intra-European routes; notably, the union has exempted flights to Middle Eastern destinations from the strike action, citing the tense situation arising from the conflict between the United States and Iran.