More than 3,400 flights affecting half a million passengers are canceled for March 10, 2025, when most German Airports will be effectively closed, and 23,000 ground handling employees will be on strike.
Frankfurt, Munich, Cologne/Bonn, Düsseldorf, Dortmund, Hannover, Bremen, Hamburg, Berlin and Leipzig-Halle are all affected. Airports advise passengers not to turn up at the airport on the strike date.
You can access Lufthansa here.
The strike will likely affect some long-haul flights the day before and the day after because airplanes and crews will be out of their usual rotations.
Passengers should request airlines to rebook them, bypassing Germany if they are only transiting through the country.
There are over 150,000 passengers affected in Frankfurt alone, and the airport has issued the following statement:
Verdi trade union has called for a one-day strike at Frankfurt Airport on Monday, March 10.
The strike is expected to cause massive disruptions to flight operations.Passengers are advised to regularly check the status of their flight on their airline’s website. pic.twitter.com/bo5dj0CEEd
— Frankfurt Airport (@Airport_FRA) March 7, 2025
EC 261/2004 Air Passenger Rights:
European Union Air Passenger Rights apply in case of strikes, but cash compensation for delayed/canceled flights doesn’t if the striking employees are not employed by the airline.
The Duty to Care applies, which means that community airlines (EU/EEA) are required to provide accommodation and meals even on flights departing to the EU, while non-community carrier Duty to Care applies only to flights from EU/EEA.
You may have to pay for the accommodation and meals yourself first and seek reimbursement from the airline later. Save the receipts.
If your flight is canceled, you can choose between rebooking/rerouting or a refund.
Conclusion
These ground-handling employees are seeking a wage increase, and there appears to be a gap between what airports are willing to offer and what employees are demanding.
If you are flying to/from/through Germany on Monday, you should contact the airline to find out what rebooking options you have or if you wish to receive a refund.
