Thousands of passenger flights across major German airports have been cancelled as trade union Verdi called public sector and ground handling employees to exercise strike action on March 10, 2025, in a dispute over pay.
The operator of Germany’s busiest airport, Frankfurt, said that no passenger flights would depart the airport due to the 24-hour long strike action. Fraport noted that according to the schedules, approximately 1,170 flights and more than 150,000 passengers were expected at the airport on March 10, 2025.
The strike action has impacted airports across Germany, with major disruptions and mass cancellations at Berlin, Munich, Stuttgart, Düsseldorf, Cologne/Bonn, Dortmund, Bremen, Hanover, Leipzig and Hamburg airports.
At Hamburg Airport, strike action was called a day earlier than expected, commencing on March 9, 2025. In a social media post the airport said that “without any notice”, the trade union called on the services at Hamburg Airport to go on strike immediately. On March 9, 144 arrivals and 139 departures carrying over 40,000 passengers were planned, with only around 10 of these flights able to take place.
Verdi said last week that this strike action is in response to ongoing collective bargaining negotiations for public sector employees, where employers have shown no willingness to meet their “justified” demands.
The union is calling for an 8% wage increase, which equates to an increase of least €350 (379.79) more per month.