Ground staff for Lufthansa, one of Germany's largest airlines, walked off the job on Wednesday, resulting in the cancellation of hundreds of flights. The strike, organized by the Ver.di union, affected five major airports in Germany: Frankfurt, Munich, Berlin, Duesseldorf, and Hamburg, and lasted for 27 hours.
Lufthansa had anticipated the strike and announced that it expected to operate only around 10-20% of all planned flights during the walkout. The airline offered passengers the option to rebook their tickets free of charge, with domestic flight tickets being converted to rail vouchers.
In Frankfurt, where Lufthansa operates as well as its subsidiary Air Dolomiti, approximately 80-90% of the planned 600 departures and arrivals were canceled ahead of the strike. Similarly, more than 400 departures and arrivals at Munich Airport were also canceled. All Lufthansa departures from Berlin and Hamburg, as well as most domestic flights from Duesseldorf, were also affected by the strike. Lufthansa estimated that over 100,000 travelers would have to change their travel plans.
Fortunately, Lufthansa's subsidiary, Eurowings, was not impacted by the strike.
The Ver.di union is demanding a pay raise of 12.5% for nearly 25,000 ground staff employees, including check-in, aircraft handling, maintenance, and freight staff. These negotiations have led to a series of strikes in various sectors of the German transportation industry in recent weeks.
This ongoing series of strikes has undoubtedly caused frustration for both travelers and commuters in Germany. The disruption of rail, air, and local transport services has posed significant challenges, forcing people to make alternative arrangements and adjust their schedules accordingly.
As negotiations continue, it remains to be seen how long these strikes will persist and whether an agreement can be reached between Lufthansa and the Ver.di union. In the meantime, passengers are advised to stay informed about their flight status and make the necessary arrangements in case of further disruptions.
