German airports brace for security staff strike on Tuesday, 15 March; Frankfurt Airport most affected

Frankfurt Airport, Germany is bracing for a day of disruptions this Tuesday (15 March) after trade union ver.di called its security staff to go on strike. On Monday, air traffic at several German airports (Düsseldorf, Cologne/Bonn, Berlin, Bremen, Hannover and Leipzig) quickly followed by Munich Airport was heavily disrupted.

“A strike by security staff at Frankfurt Airport (FRA) has been announced for Tuesday, March 15 2022. The strike is expected to cause major disruptions and flight cancellations. In particular, the security checkpoints outside the transit area will remain closed throughout the day,” Frankfurt airport tweeted.

“Thus, passengers will not be able to pass through the legally required security checks and get to their flights. We therefore strongly advise all originating passengers from FRA to avoid coming to the airport. Please contact your airline or travel operator for information.”

“We expect that transfer processes for connecting passengers in the transit area will still largely be possible. Nevertheless, also transfer passengers should expect disruptions and delays due to the strike. We kindly ask all affected passengers for their understanding.”

Frankfurt Airport was expecting 770 flights on Tuesday. Flight disruptions will also be present at the airports of Hamburg, Stuttgart and Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden Airport.

For a long time, trade unions and airport operators have unsuccessfully been negotiating about new working conditions for the approximately 25,000 staff responsible for security checks. Trade union Ver.di demands, among other things, an increase on the hourly wage of at least 1 euro. Talks are scheduled to take place again this week.