A one-day strike at 13 German airports, including the main hubs, brings most flights to a halt
Associated Press
Mon, March 10, 2025
Police patrol along the deserted security checkpoint at Hamburg Airport, Germany Monday, March 10, 2025. (Christian Charisius/dpa/dpa via AP)ASSOCIATED PRESS
A woman sleeps on a bench in the check-in area of Terminal 2 at Munich Airport, Germany Monday, March 10, 2025. (Peter Kneffel/dpa via AP)ASSOCIATED PRESS
Crew members of an international airline walk through the almost deserted Terminal 1 at Hamburg Airport, Germany Monday, March 10, 2025. (Christian Charisius/dpa via AP)ASSOCIATED PRESS
BERLIN (AP) — A one-day strike by workers at 13 German airports, including the Frankfurt and Munich hubs and all the country's other main destinations, caused the cancelation of most flights on Monday.
The 24-hour walkout, which started at midnight, involves public-sector employees at the airports as well as ground and security staff.
At Frankfurt Airport, 1,054 of the day's 1,116 scheduled takeoffs and landings had been canceled, German news agency dpa reported, citing airport traffic management.
All of Berlin Airport's regular departures and arrivals were canceled, while Hamburg Airport said no departures would be possible. Cologne/Bonn Airport said there was no regular passenger service and Munich Airport advised travelers to expect a “greatly reduced flight schedule.”
The ver.di service workers union’s strike also targeted the Hamburg, Bremen, Hannover, Berlin, Duesseldorf, Dortmund, Cologne/Bonn, Leipzig/Halle, Stuttgart and Munich airports. At the smaller Weeze and Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden airports, only security workers were called out.
The union announced the strike on Friday. But at Hamburg Airport, it added a short-notice walkout on Sunday to the strike on Monday, arguing that it must ensure the measure was effective.
The so-called “warning strike,” a common tactic in German wage negotiations, relates to two separate pay disputes: negotiations on a new pay and conditions contract for airport security workers, and a wider dispute over pay for employees of federal and municipal governments.
Strikes at 11 key airports to cause major disruption across Germany
DPA
Mon, March 10, 2025
A security checkpoint in the terminal at Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) remains closed. The Verdi union has called for a 24-hour warning strike by public sector and ground handling employees at 13 airports on Monday. Christophe Gateau/dpaMore
Strikes began at 11 major German airports just after midnight on Monday (2300 GMT Sunday), with public service workers, ground staff and aviation security called out for 24 hours by the verdi trade union in two different wage disputes.
Further strikes in facilities operated by the federal government and the local authorities are also to go ahead this week, a verdi spokesman said. The next round of pay talks, the third, has been scheduled for Potsdam near Berlin on Friday.
The pay strike aims to paralyze air transport across much of Germany, with the ADV airport association predicting that more than 3,400 flights will be cancelled and 510,000 passengers unable to board as scheduled.
The public sector strike, which has been planned since Friday, will be joined by employees in the aviation security sector. These are people who work in passenger control, personnel, goods and freight control as well as in service areas.
A new collective labour agreement is currently being negotiated for them. The next round of negotiations is scheduled for March 26 and 27.
According to German air traffic control, around 6,000 flight movements take place daily at German airports, with a further 3,000 passing through German airspace.
Verdi has called out public service workers and the ground staff who clean, load and refuel the aircraft at the main hub at Frankfurt, along with the airports at Munich, Stuttgart, Cologne/Bonn, Dusseldorf, Dortmund, Hanover, Bremen, Hamburg, Berlin-Brandenburg and Leipzig-Halle.
At the airports of Weeze and Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden, only employees in the aviation security sector have been called to strike.
No passengers will be able to board at Frankfurt, Germany's busiest airport, and transit flights are almost certain to be affected according to airport operator Fraport. Workers at Frankfurt are to hold a rally during the day.
On Monday, 1,170 take-offs with a total of around 150,000 passengers were scheduled.
Airport operators have urged passengers not to travel to terminals. A Lufthansa spokesman said the airline was working on a replacement schedule.
Verdi is demanding 8% more pay, with at least €350 ($380) per month more, as well as an additional three days of leave for a total 2.5 million workers. Employers have yet to make an offer.
Strike action has already hit airports at Cologne/Bonn, Dusseldorf, Hamburg and Munich, resulting in numerous cancellations and affecting 800,000 passengers.
Joachim Lang, head of the BDL air transport association described the strikes as disproportionate.
"An entire transport section is being shut down comprehensively, and that, while airports and airlines, as well as restaurants, retail and hotels are not parties to the agreement. A collective bargaining conflict is being conducted on the backs of passengers, even before the next round of negotiations starts," Lang said.
He called for new rules governing strikes in critical infrastructure.
A display board in the departure area of Duesseldorf Airport warns of delays. The trade union Verdi has called for a 24-hour warning strike by public service and ground handling employees at eleven airports on Monday. Christoph Reichwein/dpaMore
Lufthansa aircraft stand at Terminal 2 at Munich Airport in the morning. The Verdi union has called for a 24-hour warning strike by public sector and ground handling employees at 13 airports on Monday. Peter Kneffel/dpa
DPA
Fri, March 7, 2025
Public service employees take part in a warning strike at Munich Airport. The trade union Verdi is planning a two-day warning strike at Munich Airport to increase the pressure in the public sector wage negotiations. Sven Hoppe/dpa
More than 3,400 flights will have to be cancelled due to strikes expected at 11 German airports on Monday, according to an initial estimate by airport association ADV, predicting some 510,000 travellers will be affected.
"Striking at 11 locations at the same time is a new dimension," asid ADV managing director Ralph Beisel on Friday, hours after the trade union announced the industrial action at major transport hubs including Germany's Frankfurt and Munich airports.
Beisel said the strikes were a nightmare for affected passengers, citing "far-reaching consequences for individual mobility and economic processes."
The strikes come amid an ongoing wage dispute for public sector workers which already to led to cancellations at major German airports last month.
Some 800,000 passengers have faced disruptions due to collective bargaining negotiations so far, according to ADV.
Joachim Lang, managing director at German aviation association BDL called Monday's strikes disproportionate.
"An entire industry is being shut down across the board, even though airports and airlines, as well as restaurants, retailers and hotels, are not parties to the collective agreement," he said.
Lang called for new strike regulations in the critical infrastructure sector.
"Striking at 11 locations at the same time is a new dimension," asid ADV managing director Ralph Beisel on Friday, hours after the trade union announced the industrial action at major transport hubs including Germany's Frankfurt and Munich airports.
Beisel said the strikes were a nightmare for affected passengers, citing "far-reaching consequences for individual mobility and economic processes."
The strikes come amid an ongoing wage dispute for public sector workers which already to led to cancellations at major German airports last month.
Some 800,000 passengers have faced disruptions due to collective bargaining negotiations so far, according to ADV.
Joachim Lang, managing director at German aviation association BDL called Monday's strikes disproportionate.
"An entire industry is being shut down across the board, even though airports and airlines, as well as restaurants, retailers and hotels, are not parties to the collective agreement," he said.
Lang called for new strike regulations in the critical infrastructure sector.
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