Action by the Verdi union, which represents public sector workers, is poised to disrupt operations at all major German airports; beyond Frankfurt and Munich, the action will impact those seeking to travel from Stuttgart, Hamburg, Dortmund, Hannover and Bremen.

Lufthansa said with airports suspending regular passenger operations on Friday, it had been forced to do the same, resulting in the cancellation of more than 1,300 flights.

Passengers have been informed and, where possible, offered alternative connections of rebookings onto rail services.

"We regret the enormous impact of this warning strike, which is being carried out at the expense of our passengers," said Lufthansa board member Michael Niggemann.

"We are not a party to the collective bargaining and have no influence on it – nevertheless, our guests and we are massively affected. More than 1,300 flight cancellations for Lufthansa Group airlines alone show once again how vulnerable and fragile the air transport system is to strike activity."

Lufthansa said it expects regular flight operations to largely return to normal on Saturday (18 February).