Strike to affect 445 flights at Berlin airport on Wednesday
16.03.2026, dpa
Photo: Michael Bahlo/dpa
A strike will halt all passenger flights at Berlin's airport on Wednesday, affecting 445 take-offs and landings and roughly 57,000 passengers, the operator said.
The announcement comes after the Verdi trade union on Monday called a strike over an ongoing pay dispute.
The union said the walkout was a result of employers' "refusal to put forward a proposal open to negotiations" amid collective bargaining talks.
The union is negotiating with airport management, seeking a salary increase of 6% or at least €250 ($287) in pay raises for its 2,000 employees under a new collective agreement that would run 12 months.
Verdi also wants to secure an additional day off for union members as part of the agreement.
The dispute covers workers in several key operational areas, including the airport fire service, traffic control and terminal management.
Flights are not be possible because these roles are essential for the functioning of Berlin Brandenburg Airport, the operator said. The company urged affected passengers to contact their airlines for information about rebookings and alternative travel arrangements.
During the second round of negotiations last week, the employer side presented an initial offer that the union said would amount to wage increases of about 1% per year, with the contract running until the end of 2028.
"That is not a serious offer but a provocation at the negotiating table," said Verdi negotiator Holger Rössler.
Wednesday's industrial action will be the first strike in the current negotiations at the Berlin airport.
Aletta von Massenbach, the head of airport operator Flughafen Berlin Brandenburg, criticized the industrial action as disproportionate, “especially given an already very tense situation due to the war involving Iran.”
"The next round of negotiations is already scheduled for March 25. We remain confident that an agreement can be reached," she said.
Lufthansa pilots staged a two-day strike last week that led to the cancellation of hundreds of flights across Germany.
Berlin airport suspends passenger traffic on Wednesday due to strike
16.03.2026, dpa
Photo: Christophe Gateau/dpa
Berlin-Brandenburg airport is suspending all passenger traffic on Wednesday due to a strike, affecting 445 flights and about 57,000 passengers, the airport's operators announced on Monday.
The announcement comes after the Verdi trade union called a strike over an ongoing pay dispute.
The union said on Monday that it would hold the walkout as a result of employers' "refusal to put forward a proposal open to negotiations" amid collective bargaining negotiations.
The union is negotiating with airport management, seeking a salary increase of 6% or at least €250 ($287) in pay raises for its 2,000 employees under a new collective agreement set to run for 12 months.
Berlin-Brandenburg Airport is to ground all flights amid a strike called for Wednesday.
Berlin-Brandenburg Airport to suspend all flights after strike call
Berlin-Brandenburg Airport, which serves Germany's capital and the surrounding region, will cancel all flights and traffic on Wednesday after the Verdi union announced a strike for that day.
"Please contact your airline or tour operator for information on rebooking and alternative travel options," the airport posted on X.
Verdi called the strike amid a pay dispute with public-sector employers.
"In the second round of negotiations, the employers put forward an offer that [Verdi's] bargaining committee rejected as unacceptable," Verdi said.
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