Lufthansa said its Chief Executive Carsten Spohr had invited representatives of three unions for talks on a wage dispute that threatens to ground the airline's German fleet for 48 hours from late on Wednesday.

The three unions - Ufo, Verdi and CU - are locked in a dispute over pay and conditions for cabin staff as well as over legal recognition of the Ufo union's status. Earlier on Tuesday, Lufthansa sought to prevent the strike via legal action.

But in a statement, Lufthansa said Spohr wanted discussions with the unions and invited them for talks at 6 p.m. (1700 GMT) on Wednesday evening.

"The situation in the cabins, which threatens to lead to another labor dispute this week is fair neither to our colleagues nor to our customers," Spohr said in the statement. "A solution can only lie in dialogue."