Berlin - The German airline Lufthansa AG cancelled long-haul flights Wednesday for the first time as a pay strike by ground and cabin staff entered its third day.

The services union Verdi said about 5,000 workers had joined the strike Monday and Tuesday, causing the cancellation on Tuesday of 70 domestic and European flights.

Lufthansa said it expected eight long-haul flights to be cancelled Wednesday. In addition, 70 shorter flights would not take off because the required aircraft had not received necessary maintenance, it said.

Nine of the airline's fleet of 520 aircraft are out of action.

The mass-circulation German newspaper Bild reported Wednesday that the airline was having some of its aircraft maintained abroad, changing schedules to take aircraft out of the country by rotation.

Verdi has said its aim is to target Lufthansa financially by forcing it to resort to expensive measures like outsourcing maintenance and catering.

Lufthansa published preliminary half-year results Tuesday, showing a 45-per-cent rise in operating profits to 705 million euros (1.1 billion dollars) on a rise in turnover of 20 per cent to 12.1 billion euros.

Verdi is demanding 9.8 per cent more pay for 50,000 Lufthansa workers. Pilots are not involved in the current strike. The airline is offering 6.7 per cent more pay over a 21-month contract plus a one-off payment. (dpa)