Romanian state airline Tarom cancels flights as pilots strike

BUCHAREST (Reuters) - Romanian state-owned airline carrier Tarom delayed and cancelled flights on Tuesday as a strike that some pilots began on Sunday continued, the company said. Out of 59 flights scheduled for Tuesday, Tarom cancelled four and delayed just as many as it faced a shortage of pilots and flight attendants, it said in a statement. Several flights, both domestic and international, were cancelled yesterday and on Sunday. A union representative was quoted as saying labour contract issues were the cause. The transport ministry, which controls the airline, held a round of talks between the firm's management and union leaders on Tuesday. A new meeting was scheduled for Sept. 22 and flights would resume until then, the ministry said. New competition from low-cost rivals and fast-growing long-haul carriers in the Gulf has prompted European carriers to speed up restructuring measures. Elsewhere in Europe, travellers faced continued disruption as Air France pilots began a week-long strike in a dispute over cost cuts. A pilots union called off a strike planned for Tuesday at Germany's Lufthansa at the last minute. (Reporting by Luiza Ilie Editing by Jeremy Gaunt)