Scandinavian Airlines is cancelling another 280 flights across the Nordic region through Thursday afternoon (1200 GMT), affecting 20,000 more passengers, due to a pilots' strike.

The cancellation comes on top of 504 flight canceled Wednesday and hundreds more since pilots began an open-ended strike on Friday due to the collapse of pay negotiations.

Karin Nyman, a Scandinavian Airlines spokeswoman, welcomed the resumption on Wednesday of talks with the pilots — the first contacts since talks collapsed — saying it raised "hope that it will lead to constructive conversations." The talks are being held in in Oslo, Norway.