Strike by security staff at most major German airports cancels hundreds of flights
ABC News
Most of Germany’s major airports canceled scores of flights after security workers launched a one-day strike to step up pressure in a pay disput
BERLIN -- Security workers at most of Germany's major airports walked off the job Thursday in a one-day strike to step up pressure in a pay dispute, prompting widespread flight cancellations.
The ver.di union, which announced the walkout on Tuesday afternoon, called on workers to strike at 11 airports: Frankfurt, Berlin, Cologne, Duesseldorf, Hamburg, Stuttgart, Leipzig, Hannover, Dresden, Bremen and Erfurt.
Airports in Bavaria — including Munich, the country's second-busiest — were not affected.
All departures for the day from Berlin, Hamburg and Stuttgart were canceled before the strike started. About four-fifths of flights in Cologne and one-third in Duesseldorf also were canceled.
In Frankfurt, the operator of Germany's busiest airport said security checkpoints outside the transit area would remain closed. It advised passengers planning to start their journeys there not to come to the airport. However, there were connections for transferring passengers; Lufthansa planned to operate much of its planned schedule, including intercontinental flights.
