Updated

Germany's Lufthansa airline says it is canceling some 3,800 flights because of a three-day strike by the pilots' union later this week, affecting 425,000 passengers.

Germany's biggest airline said Monday the cancellations include domestic and intercontinental connections and are being done in preparation for what is expected to be "one of the biggest strikes in Lufthansa's history."

Lufthansa says even though the strike starts Wednesday, some Tuesday flights have been canceled for logistical reasons.

Lufthansa, Lufthansa Cargo and the company's budget airline Germanwings are all affected.

Lufthansa already had to cancel hundreds of flights last week when public-sector workers went on strike at seven German airports in a dispute that had nothing to do with the airline.