A nationwide strike has brought air travel to a near standstill at 13 German airports, including the Frankfurt and Munich hubs. Trade union Verdi has called the strike over a wage dispute.The trade union Verdi is demanding a collective wage deal for nearly 2.5 million public sector workers. Monday’s strikes come after a second round of pay talks failed.
The federal government and local municipalities have said that Verdi’s proposals, including an 8% pay hike, higher bonuses, and three additional days off, are not financially viable..Germany: Flights canceled as workers strike at 13 airports
Roshni Majumdar | Dharvi Vaid with DPA and Reuters
6 hours ago6 hours ago
A nationwide strike has brought air travel to a near standstill at 13 German airports, including the Frankfurt and Munich hubs. Trade union Verdi has called the strike over a wage dispute.
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Verdi members carry union flags and wear high visibility jackets during a strike at Düsseldorf in February 2025
Airport operators have urged passengers not to travel to terminals [February 24, 2025]Image: Christoph Reichwein/dpa/picture alliance
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Strikes have brought operations to a near halt in airports across Germany, as service workers, ground staff, and aviation security staged a 24-hour walkout.
The trade union Verdi is demanding a collective wage deal for nearly 2.5 million public sector workers. Monday’s strikes come after a second round of pay talks failed.
The federal government and local municipalities have said that Verdi’s proposals, including an 8% pay hike, higher bonuses, and three additional days off, are not financially viable.
Strike at Hamburg airport disrupts tens of thousands
02:16
Frankfurt, Hamburg, Berlin airports cancel flights
Operations at Germany’s busiest airport, Frankfurt, were disrupted, along with those at Munich, Stuttgart, Cologne/Bonn, Düsseldorf, Dortmund, Hanover, Bremen, Hamburg, Berlin-Brandenburg, and Leipzig-Halle.
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 strikes were set to affect some 510,000 travelers, according to the ADV airport association.
German aviation group Lufthansa said there would be “delays and extensive cancellations” on all the airliner’s flights to and from the affected airports.
