On Wednesday, ground staff for Lufthansa staged a 27-hour strike at five major German airports, including Frankfurt and Munich, the airline’s main hubs.
The strike, organized by the Ver.di union, led to the cancellation of hundreds of flights. Lufthansa had anticipated operating only 10-20% of its planned flights during the strike and encouraged passengers to rebook tickets free of charge.
The canceled flights affected departures and arrivals in Frankfurt, Munich, Berlin, Duesseldorf, and Hamburg, disrupting travel plans for over 100,000 people.
The union is demanding a 12.5% pay raise or a minimum increase of 500 euros per month for around 25,000 employees involved in check-in, aircraft handling, maintenance, and freight services.
The strike adds to recent disruptions in the German transportation sector due to coinciding contract negotiations.