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Strike forces Frankfurt Airport closure to departing flights

March 6, 2024

Frankfurt Airport will not allow departing passengers on Thursday due to a security strike. Some 25,000 employees are walking out, causing significant flight cancellations.

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Passengers walk through a terminal at the airport in Frankfurt, Germany
Frankfurt is Germany's largest airport and acts as an international hubImage: Michael Probst/AP/picture alliance

There will be no access to Frankfurt Airport for departing passengers on Thursday as Germany's biggest airport is hit by strikes, the airport operator Fraport said on Wednesday.

Around 25,000 Lufthansa security staff represented by trade union Verdi are set to walk out again as wage talks remain stalled.

The staff are generally employed by private companies that check passengers, staff and luggage at the entrances to the security area on behalf of the German Federal Police.

Due to insufficient security checks, departing passengers will be unable to access the airport, explained a spokesperson for airport operator Fraport.

"The strike will cause major disruptions and flight cancelations throughout the day," read a Fraport statement. 

"Security checkpoints will remain closed. Originating passengers departing from Frankfurt will thus not be able to pass through the legally required security checks."

Legitimate strikes in wage disputes

How many flights will be affected?

The precise impact on the flight schedule was initially unclear, but planes are still expected to land and transferring passengers are still expected to be able to change flights at Frankfurt.

A total of 1,170 departures and landings had been scheduled for Thursday, carrying around 160,000 passengers.

Precise cancelations and changes will depend on the respective airlines, said a Fraport spokesperson, but 650 flights had already been canceled by Wednesday lunchtime.

Germany's flag carrier and Frankfurt Airport's biggest customer Lufthansa is also set to be hit by strikes on Friday.

Planes and trains alike affected by strikes

Trains and public transport services have also been disrupted by several strikes in recent weeks in Germany with negotiations faltering and no breakthroughs in sight.

The German central bank said last month that the strikes could negatively impact productivity, as it warned the country appeared likely to enter a technical recession by the end of the first quarter.

mf/ab (dpa, AFP)

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