Tense mediation talks between Lufthansa and cabin crew over pay and conditions should reach a conclusion in mid-November, although it is not clear whether they will be successful, a source close to the negotiations said on Sunday.
"We believe there will be something to announce on November 13. Whether an agreement or a failure," said the person, who declined to be identified as the talks are confidential. The differences between the two sides are glaring, the person said, adding that the negotiations were tough. German magazine Focus earlier reported that the mediation talks had come close to failing several times already.
A spokesman for Lufthansa declined to comment, citing the confidentiality agreement. Should the talks fail, it could mean strikes at Germany's largest airline in the run-up to Christmas, the magazine said. The two sides had negotiated for 13 months when initial talks broke down over the summer. The resulting walkouts by cabin crew forced Lufthansa to cancel over 1,000 flights, causing it tens of millions of euros in losses.