(ANSA-AFP) - FRANKFURT, MAR 12 - Lufthansa said about half its flights were cancelled Thursday as pilots from the German airline kicked off a two-day strike over pensions. The pilots' union called the second walkout in the space of a month after talks with management broke down. The airline says around 50 percent of its originally planned flight schedule is running on Thursday and Friday, with about 60 percent of long-haul services operating. Some pilots had decided to work despite the walkout, while other airlines in the broader Lufthansa Group took over some of flagship carrier's flights. The union Cockpit said the first day of the strike was "going better than expected" with more flights cancelled than they had expected. (ANSA-AFP).