Germany airport strike: Flights cancelled as strikes begin at 11 major airports including Munich, Frankfurt - Berlin cancels all flights

The ver.di union representing airport ground staff announced the strike taking place today (Monday 10 March) on Friday (7 March) to give travellers time to prepare. It said workers will walk out at the airports in Munich, Stuttgart, Frankfurt/Main, Cologne/Bonn, Düsseldorf, Dortmund, Hanover, Bremen, Hamburg, Berlin-Brandenburg and Leipzig-Halle.

Hundreds of thousands of travellers could see delays or cancelations of their flights. The union’s negotiators demand better working conditions, higher wages and additional days off, among other things. The Verdi trade union demands a new pay agreement for the 2.5 million public sector workers, calling for an 8% wage increase or at least €350 more per month, three additional days off a year, and higher bonuses.

Workers striking include those who work in passenger control, personnel, goods and freight control as well as in service areas. Berlin's airport has cancelled all of its flights for today.

The strike begins at 00:00 and is scheduled to last until 23:59. Passengers must expect flight cancellations and delays. Frankfurt Airport is expecting massive disruption and is advising travellers not to travel to the airport.

Passengers and commuters should find out about alternative travel options early on and adjust their travel plans if necessary. It is recommended to pay attention to the current information from the respective transport companies and, if possible, to switch to unaffected means of transport.

Anton Radchenko, CEO of AirAdvisor, said: "This latest set of industrial action by European airport workers could have a devastating effect on air travel across the continent. And it’s also entirely feasible that flights to destinations further afield will be disrupted.

"Take Frankfurt Airport as an example, the airport is Lufthansa’s (Germany’s biggest airline) key international hub, it acts as a transit airport for millions of travellers to destinations across the globe. On X, Frankfurt Airport’s official account announced that passengers should ‘refrain’ from travelling to the airport and that the strikes will most likely affect connecting flights." Radchenko advised passengers travelling to or through Germany to contact their airline for updates, ensure they're signed up for notifications, and check for rebooking options if their flight is cancelled.