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Berlin airport cancels departing flights over Monday strike

April 23, 2023

Dozens of flights from Berlin-Brandenburg airport will be grounded, causing more misery for air travelers already impacted by walkouts in other parts of Germany.

https://p.dw.com/p/4QRB9
A plane wing with airport runways visible in the background in Berlin
The latest call to strike comes after airport employees staged walkouts in Düsseldorf, Cologne, Stuttgart, and KarlsruheImage: Britta Pedersen/dpa/picture alliance

Germany's Berlin-Brandenburg airport has warned that all flights due to depart Monday have been canceled after the country's powerful Verdi union called an almost daylong strike.

The airport said no passenger aircraft would be able to take off from the international airport as a result of the walkout.

Flights arriving into Berlin could still go ahead, however, individual airlines would decide whether to proceed.  Those flights could be subject to delays, the airport wrote on Twitter.

Employers at the airport's security, passenger control and goods control are expected to walk out from 03:30 am (0130 GMT) on Monday until midnight. 

"We once again urge the association of flight safety employers BDLS to present a negotiable offer on April 27 and 28 and not to continue playing for time, otherwise there is a threat of further strikes in air transport in May and at Pentecost," Wolfgang Pieper of the Verdi trade union said in a statement.

Strikes a persistent headache for travelers in Germany 

The capital airport strike follow similar walkouts that paralyzed the airports in Dusseldorf, Hamburg and Cologne/Bonn on Thursday, leading to the cancellation of some 700 flights.

That strike was expanded to airports in Stuttgart and Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden on Friday and on Saturday, some flights were still being suspended or delayed at Baden airport.

Wage negotiations remain stalled as Verdi is demanding pay increases for night, weekend, and public holiday shifts. Negotiations are scheduled to continue on Thursday.

In addition to the airport strikes, the German railway and transport union EVG organized on Friday a nationwide transport strike, impacting around 50 companies, including national rail operator Deutsche Bahn.

Millions impacted by Germany's largest strike in decades

rmt,mm/dj (AFP, dpa)