Tens of thousands of travellers faced flight delays and cancellations Friday as workers at eight airports in Germany went on strike for better pay.

The full-day walkout, called by the Verdi trade union, prompted Germany's biggest carrier Lufthansa to cancel more than 1,300 flights alone at its busiest hubs, Frankfurt and Munich.

"The strike is expected to have a strong impact, especially on domestic air traffic, ranging from delays to cancellations and even a partial shutdown of air traffic," Verdi said in a statement.

German airport association ADV called the strike action "completely unacceptable", saying it would affect around 295,000 passengers and more than 2,300 flights in total.

"Solutions must be found at the negotiating table and not at the expense of passengers," ADV chief Ralph Beisel said in a statement.

Airports in the cities of Bremen, Dortmund, Hamburg, Hanover, Leipzig and Stuttgart were also affected.

Verdi is currently leading negotiations for public sector workers, airport ground crew and aviation security staff, demanding better pay at a time when workers are seeing their incomes eroded by high inflation.

The next round of talks with employers is scheduled for February 22-23.