Hundreds of Scots passengers see flights cancelled as strikes hit German airports

Hundreds of Scottish travellers have had flights cancelled after widespread strikes hit airports in Germany.

A one-day strike by workers at 13 German airports, including Frankfurt, Munich and Berlin and all the country’s other main destinations, has led to most flights being disrupted.

The 24-hour walkout, which started at midnight, involves public-sector employees at the airports as well as ground and security staff.

A Lufthansa flight from Edinburgh to Frankfurt due to depart at 6am, the first departure of the day, was cancelled.

The 3.35pm and 8.35pm services on the same route were also cancelled.

Ryanair and easyJet services to Berlin due to depart on Monday afternoon are not going ahead.

An EasyJet notice to passengers read: “We’re very sorry to inform you that your flight is cancelled.

“This is because of a national ground handling and security staff strike in Germany today which is affecting essential areas in the airport.”

Ryanair told passengers: “This flight has been cancelled. Sorry for any inconvenience caused.”

All of Berlin Airport’s regular departures and arrivals were cancelled, while Hamburg Airport said no departures would be possible.

Cologne/Bonn Airport said there was no regular passenger service and Munich Airport advised travellers to expect a “greatly reduced flight schedule”.

The Ver.di service workers union’s strike also targeted the Hamburg, Bremen, Hannover, Berlin, Dusseldorf, Dortmund, Cologne/Bonn, Leipzig/Halle, Stuttgart and Munich airports.

At the smaller Weeze and Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden airports, only security workers were called out.

The union announced the strike on Friday. But at Hamburg Airport, it added a short-notice walkout on Sunday to the strike on Monday, arguing that it must ensure the measure was effective.

The so-called “warning strike”, a common tactic in German wage negotiations, relates to two separate pay disputes: negotiations on a new pay and conditions contract for airport security workers, and a wider dispute over pay for employees of federal and municipal governments.

The latter already has led to walkouts at Cologne/Bonn, Dusseldorf, Hamburg and Munich airports.

Pay talks in that dispute are due to resume on Friday, while the next round of talks for airport security workers is expected to start on March 26.