Mass Flight Cancellations Hit 13 German Airports As Workers Stage Nationwide Strike

A one-day strike by workers across 13 major German airports, including Frankfurt, Munich, and Berlin, caused widespread disruptions to air travel on Monday, leading to the cancellation of most flights, foreign media reported. The 24-hour walkout, organised by the Ver.di service workers’ union, began at midnight and included ground and security staff.

At Frankfurt Airport, Germany’s busiest hub, 1,054 out of 1,116 scheduled takeoffs and landings were cancelled, German news agency DPA reported, citing airport traffic management.

According to an Associated Press report, Berlin Airport saw the complete cancellation of all regular departures and arrivals, while Hamburg Airport announced that no departures would be possible.

Cologne Bonn Airport reported no regular passenger service even as Munich Airport urged travellers to expect a “greatly reduced flight schedule”, the report said.

The strike affected airports in Hamburg, Bremen, Hannover, Berlin, Düsseldorf, Dortmund, Cologne/Bonn, Leipzig/Halle, Stuttgart, and Munich. Smaller airports, such as Weeze and Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden, saw walkouts limited to security staff.

The strike—first announced on Friday—followed ongoing disputes over pay scale and working conditions for airport workers and a broader wage dispute involving employees of federal and municipal governments.

According to a DW report, the Ver.di union is seeking a collective wage agreement for nearly 2.5 million public-sector workers, demanding an 8 percent increase in pay and higher bonuses.

The strikes affected an estimated 510,000 travelers, DW reported, quoting the ADV airport association.

Hamburg Airport was hit particularly hard, with workers initiating their walkout on Sunday, one day before the official strike. The move, which was not previously announced, left many passengers stranded as they were unable to retrieve checked luggage, the report said, citing public broadcaster NDR.

Meanwhile, a Ver.di spokesperson told DW that the “early shutdown was necessary to ensure the strike’s impact was strongly felt”.

The next round of wage talks for airport security workers is scheduled for March 26, while negotiations over public-sector pay are set to resume on Friday, AP reported.

In the meantime, further strikes in federal and municipal facilities are expected this week, a Verdi spokesperson said, according to DPA.

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