As of: March 7, 2024, 5:07 a.m
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Billboards show “cancelled” and “Lufthansa” at an airport.
© Peter Kneffel/dpa/Symbolbild
Hundreds of flight cancellations, closed security entrances to Hamburg and Frankfurt airports - three weeks before Easter, large parts of German air traffic are paralyzed.
Frankfurt/Main - The next warning strike by ground staff at Lufthansa began early on Thursday morning - parallel to the train drivers' strike at Deutsche Bahn.
A spokesman for the Verdi union at Frankfurt Airport told the German Press Agency that the strike got off to a very successful start.
In addition, the aviation security controllers in Hamburg and Frankfurt went on strike, meaning that no passengers from outside can board at either location on this day.
Lufthansa wants to fly 10 to 20 percent of its original flight schedule during the warning strike.
The strike by Lufthansa ground staff is scheduled to last until Saturday morning at 7:10 a.m.
Lufthansa's technical departments had already gone on what is now the fifth wave of warning strikes on Wednesday evening, which was extended to the passenger areas in the terminal in the morning.
In this way, Verdi wants to force greater concessions from management in the ongoing collective bargaining for around 25,000 ground staff.
The negotiations with private aviation security companies also involve around 25,000 people.
Without warning, employees at the personnel and goods checks at Cologne/Bonn Airport also went on strike on Wednesday evening.
This means that freight traffic in particular will be hit hard; passenger flights should not be affected.
The warning strike is scheduled to last until midnight on Thursday.
No advance warning was given because the airport operator had used its own people as strikebreakers in similar actions in the past, said Verdi secretary Özay Tarim.
Consequences for airline passengers
If flights within Germany are canceled, customers will not be able to use their plane ticket to take the train as usual due to the parallel train drivers' strike.
And under no circumstances should passengers from canceled flights come to the airport, warned Lufthansa and the airport operator Fraport.
Free rebooking options are available via lufthansa.com, the customer app and the service center.
The impairments by region
Frankfurt: At Frankfurt Airport, due to the lack of security checks on Thursday, no passengers who want to depart from Frankfurt will enter the security area of the airport.
Takeoffs and landings still take place, so that at least transit guests can change.
It will also be possible to get off in Frankfurt.
Munich: Munich Airport is expected to remain open on Thursday and Friday despite the warning strike by ground staff, but is expecting many flight cancellations.
Munich Airport announced that around 500 of 800 flights were canceled on Thursday.
The airport spokesman expected a similar failure rate for Friday.
According to the flight schedule, flights planned for Wednesday evening were canceled.
Stuttgart: Four Lufthansa flights to and from Munich and Frankfurt were canceled at Stuttgart Airport due to the warning strike on Thursday, an airport spokeswoman said on Wednesday.
The flights to and from Munich and Frankfurt would probably also be canceled on Friday, it was said.
The last flight to Munich on Wednesday evening had already been canceled.
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Berlin: According to the flight schedule, there are also many cancellations of Lufthansa flights to and from Munich and Frankfurt on Thursday and Friday at the capital's BER airport.
Passengers are advised to contact the airline before arriving to find out the current status of their flight and rebooking options.
Hamburg: The central security checkpoint at Hamburg's Helmut Schmidt Airport remains closed, and the airport operator has therefore canceled all 141 departures for Thursday.
According to the airport, 15 Lufthansa arrivals and departures were canceled on Friday.
Düsseldorf: Almost all Lufthansa connections were canceled at Düsseldorf and Cologne/Bonn airports due to the Verdi warning strike.
In total, around 100 departures and arrivals will be canceled between Wednesday and Friday evenings.
Passengers from other airlines are unlikely to have to fear any effects.
Further strikes possible - including among the flight attendants
In the ongoing collective bargaining dispute, Verdi is demanding 12.5 percent more salary, but at least 500 euros per month for a term of twelve months.
There will also be a group-wide uniform inflation compensation bonus of 3,000 euros.
Lufthansa refers to past wage increases and has so far offered 10 percent more salary and an inflation compensation bonus for a period of 28 months.
The next negotiations are scheduled for March 13th and 14th.
Lufthansa passengers must also expect strikes from another professional group in the near future.
A few weeks before the start of the Easter holidays, the flight attendants of Lufthansa and its regional subsidiary Lufthansa Cityline voted for strikes in a strike vote by the UFO union on Wednesday.
It remained unclear at the moment when strikes could be expected.
dpa