FACTBOX-Europe's summer travel chaos

Strikes and staff shortages are forcing airlines to cancel thousands of flights and causing hours-long queues at major airports, dashing hopes of a sizzling first summer after COVID lockdowns.

Here is a summary of some of the developments: LABOUR UNREST:

After sweeping job cuts and pay cuts when COVID-19 brought travel to a grinding halt, staff across the industry from pilots to baggage handlers are asking for big pay increases and better working conditions. Norwegian Air in June agreed a 3.7% pay rise for pilots among other benefits, in a sign of what other airlines may have to offer to avoid labour strife.

** Charles de Gaulle, Paris Workers at France's main airport operator ADP said on Friday they would remove a strike notice for the week-end, as did the firefighters at Paris's international CDG airport the day before, a union source told Reuters.

** Heathrow British Airways' check-in staff at London's Heathrow airport has suspended a strike, labour unions said on Thursday, after the airline agreed to improve pay. The proposed strike would have included less than half of the airline's Heathrow-based check-in and ground staff.

** Lufthansa A German union representing Lufthansa ground staff is demanding at least 350 euros per month more over 12 months to cushion the effects of soaring inflation

The staff called on the German flag carrier to end its "cost-cutting craziness" in a letter to the supervisory board seen by Reuters on Wednesday, accusing the airline of mismanagement and contributing to the recent chaos by laying off too many workers. Lufthansa declined to comment on the letter, though its chief executive apologised to employees and customers in late June, saying the airline "did go too far in cutting costs here and there." ** SAS AB

The Scandinavian airline cancelled almost 70% of its flights on Friday as a pilots' strike stranded thousands of tourists overseas. Wage talks between SAS and its pilots collapsed on Monday, triggering a walkout by close to 1,000 pilots, and it filed for bankruptcy protection in the United States a day later saying the strike had deepened its financial crisis.

SAS's chief executive said on Friday the airline would not be able to agree to the unions' current demands because it would scare off potential new investors. ** Ryanair

Spain-based cabin crew at Ryanair plan to strike for 12 more days in July, the USO and SICTPLA unions said. The Irish low-cost carrier said it expected "minimal" disruption for its flight schedules. Cabin crew will strike on July 12-15, 18-21 and 25-28 across the 10 Spanish airports where Ryanair operates.

** Easyjet Spain-based cabin crew at easyJet plan to go on strike for nine days in July, demanding a 40% increase in their basic salary which is much lower than in countries such as France and Germany, local union USO said.

REDUCED SUMMER SCHEDULES: Airlines have slashed thousands of flights off their summer schedules to cope with the disruptions, including British Airways, Lufthansa and easyJet.

They were joined by KLM, the Dutch arm of Air France KLM , on Friday, when it said it would scrap up to 20 daily flights to European destinations through August due to staff shortages at the airline and its hub Schiphol Airport, which has asked airlines to cut thousands of daily passengers to ease the pressure. British transport minister last week said it was up to the airlines to avoid a repeat of recent chaotic scenes at airports, calling for them to run "realistic" summer schedules. .

HIRING SPREE AND INCENTIVES: Airports and airlines are scrambling to hire more workers from pilots to security and border control staff and baggage handlers after many left during the COVID-19 crisis.

Industry executives say it is hard to recruit for often physically demanding, relatively low paid work at airports often located out of town. Training staff and getting them security clearance to work at airports also takes months. ** Schiphol agreed to pay 15,000 cleaners, baggage handlers and security staff 5.25 euros ($5.50) extra per hour during the summer.

One of Europe's busiest airports needs to hire 500 security staff. Before the pandemic, there were 68,000 workers in and around the airport, now there are 58,000. ** Charles de Gaulle and Orly airports in Paris need to fill 4,000 jobs mainly in security, maintenance and travel retail, according to airport operator Groupe ADP and the CDG Alliance.

More than 20,000 people were laid off at Charles de Gaulle during the pandemic, according to the CGT union. Airport security company ICTS which operates at Charles de Gaulle is offering a one-off 180 euro bonus to those delaying their vacation until after Sept. 15 and 150 euros for staff who sign up new recruits, according to a CGT union representative.

** Frankfurt Airport, Germany's busiest hub, has rehired nearly 1,000 new ground services employees after cutting about 4,000 during the pandemic, but will continue to see disruptions due to lack of workers in the next two or three months, its operator Fraport said. Germany plans to fast-track work permits and visas for several thousand foreign airport workers, mainly from Turkey, to work with grounds crews, including in baggage handling in order to help to ease the travel chaos.

According to the ADV airport association, about one in five jobs in security, check-in and aircraft handling is unfilled at the country's airports. ** The Portuguese government plans to more than double border control staff at the country's six airports by July 4.

** In Spain, the police will hire 500 more staff taking the total to 1,700 deployed at the country's busiest airports, including Madrid and Barcelona. ($1 = 0.9562 euros)