STORY: Eurowings pilots began a three-day strike on Monday (October 17) over working hours.

The walkout comes after talks between the company and the Vereinigung Cockpit pilots’ union failed.

The union wants the carrier to ease pilot workloads through measures such as increased rest periods.

But Eurowings says the demands put jobs at risk.

The airline had said it would cancel nearly 170 scheduled flights on Monday.

That's from airports in Dusseldorf, Cologne, Hamburg and Stuttgart, affecting roughly 20,000 travelers.

It expects similar disruption on Tuesday (October 18) and Wednesday (October 19).

A one-day strike earlier this month saw Eurowings operate at half capacity, affecting around 30,000 passengers.