**German airline Lufthansa is making last-ditch attempts to avert a strike by about 4,000 of its pilots.**Widespread domestic and international travel disruption is expected if the four-day strike goes ahead as planned from early on Monday.
The carrier has already cancelled about 600 flights and has warned of delays.
Lufthansa said it was prepared to have unconditional talks with its pilots who are taking the action in an effort to gain increased job security.
The Cockpit Union has called on pilots flying for Lufthansa, Lufthansa Cargo and its low-budget subsidiary, Germanwings to walk off the job at midnight (2300GMT on Sunday) and not return until midnight on Thursday.
The union says the airline is increasingly relying on foreign pilots who fly for less pay.
High costs
Lufthansa board member Stefan Lauer told German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung that the airline would guarantee the jobs of its more than 4,000 pilots for two years if they returned to negotiations.
The airline normally offers about 1,800 flights daily - of which 160 are long-haul trips.
It has estimated the industrial action could cost it about 25m euros (£21.9m; $34m) per day.