Image: TOBIAS STEINMAURER (APA/TOBIAS STEINMAURER)
Around 89,000 passengers were affected, the airport association ADV announced on Thursday. The airports in Düsseldorf, Cologne, Stuttgart and Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden are on strike. ADV general manager Ralph Beisel described the duration and extent of the work stoppages as disproportionate. They went beyond the dimensions of a warning strike.
At Vienna Airport, the effects are as follows: Of 12 planned flights between Vienna and Cologne, 6 flights will be canceled (3x there, 3x back) – the other 6 will be carried out, Vienna Airport told APA. The 10 planned connections between Vienna and Stuttgart will also be omitted. And of the 14 flights between Vienna and Düsseldorf, only 2 are operated: one to Düsseldorf and back to Vienna. One is not affected by the warning strike at Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden Airport, as there are no flight connections here anyway.
The all-day warning strikes began on Friday at the two largest airports in North Rhine-Westphalia, Düsseldorf and Cologne/Bonn, a Verdi spokesman confirmed early Friday morning. The union called on workers in passenger screening, personnel, goods and cargo screening and public sector workers to walk out. According to preliminary information from the two airports, hundreds of flights are expected to be canceled on Friday.
“We have a good participation, the mood is determined,” said the Verdi spokesman. The strike at Cologne/Bonn Airport began at 10:00 p.m. on Thursday evening, and in Düsseldorf the workers stopped work on Friday at 3:00 a.m. According to the union, around 500 employees are on strike in Düsseldorf alone.
The two airports advise passengers to check the status of their flight with their airline or tour operator before arriving at the airport. Verdi had previously stated that passengers would have to expect delays, longer waiting times and flight cancellations at the two airports on Friday.
According to preliminary information from the airport, almost all flights at Cologne/Bonn Airport will be canceled on Friday. 144 of the originally planned 148 take-offs and landings of passenger aircraft could not take place, a spokesman said early Friday morning. In addition, there could be further cancellations or diversions of flights. Düsseldorf Airport wants to maintain emergency operations. An airport spokesman confirmed on Friday morning that 264 of the 391 originally planned take-offs and landings will be canceled.
Source: Nachrichten
