Airport strikes paralyze German air traffic on Friday

The airports in Frankfurt, Munich, Stuttgart, Hamburg, Dortmund, Hanover and Bremen are affected. Effects on Austria are also programmed. Airports speak of "unprecedented escalation"

The strike by the Verdi union planned for Friday is expected to completely paralyze flight operations at seven German airports. Munich (MUC), Frankfurt (FRA) and Hamburg (HAM) airports will stop operating regular passenger flights on Friday, they said. Frankfurt and Munich are the two largest German airports. Munich in particular is of greater importance for Austrian travelers, but Frankfurt is also a hub. Munich Airport was the first to announce that normal operations would remain on Friday. Massive effects on the Munich Security Conference, to which high-ranking politicians and diplomats travel from all over the world, had previously been expected.

In Frankfurt, 1,005 flight movements were planned for Friday, the Fraport spokeswoman said. The operating company spoke of 137,000 affected passengers alone on Germany's most important hub. She called on passengers not to come to the airport in the first place and to get information from their airline. "Regular airport operations cannot be guaranteed," Fraport's website said. "Passengers who want to start their journey in Frankfurt cannot catch their flight."

Transfer traffic is also affected. There are many strikes in Germany on Friday, including in local public transport.The Verdi trade union held a 24-hour industrial dispute from 10 p.m. on Thursday.In addition to the airports in Frankfurt, Munich and Hamburg, Stuttgart, Dortmund, Hanover and Bremen are also affected.The German airport association ADV is counting on this 2,340 cancellations in domestic and international air traffic Effects on flights to and from Austria are programmed.

"We recommend travelers to inquire with the airlines about the status of their booked flights. The Vienna Airport website also provides an overview of the current flight schedule," recommended Vienna International Airport. Above all, German hub airports such as Frankfurt and Munich, but also most of the other German airports on strike, are also served from domestic federal state airports.