Ryanair strike in Germany causes delays but no cancellations

A four-hour strike called by a pilots' union in Germany at Ryanair has prompted delays, but the budget airline didn't have to cancel any flights.

The Cockpit union had called on Ryanair pilots in Germany to strike from 5:01 a.m. to 8:59 a.m. local time Friday (0401 to 0759 GMT). It accused the airline of staging a "publicity stunt" when it offered last week to negotiate on pay and working conditions.

Ryanair said nine out of 36 flights were delayed but there were no cancellations. It said in a statement that it was grateful to pilots for "largely ignoring" the strike.

Cockpit spokesman Markus Wahl told n-tv television the union was satisfied with pilots' participation, asserting that Ryanair replaced contract pilots with non-permanent employees or foreign pilots.