Airlines fail in damages claims over German controllers' strike

BERLIN, Aug 25 (Reuters) - Several airlines have failed in a bid to claim million of euros in damages from German air traffic controllers' union GdF for a strike at Stuttgart airport in 2009 and for planned strikes in 2011.

The German federal labour court ruled on Tuesday that four airlines had no right to damages for cancelled, delayed or diverted flights as a result of the six-hour strike on April 6, 2009, because the strike was aimed at the operation of the German air traffic controllers' authority and not the airlines.

The airlines, Lufthansa, Air Berlin (Xetra: AB1000 - news) , Germanwings and TUIfly, had filed for around 35,000 euros ($40,120.50) in damages and had already failed in appeals at lower courts.

Separately, Lufthansa, Air Berlin and Ryanair had sought damages of around 3.5 million euros for two strikes that were planned for August 2011, but which were then not carried out. The court on Tuesday also rejected these claims.

($1 = 0.8724 euros) (Reporting by Victoria Bryan; Editing by Maria Sheahan)