As of March 10, 2025, Germany is grappling with significant travel disruptions due to widespread strikes affecting its aviation sector. These labor actions, primarily driven by trade unions advocating for better wages and working conditions, have led to a substantial number of flight cancellations across the country’s major airports. The impact is felt not only by domestic carriers but also by international airlines operating routes to and from Germany, creating a ripple effect that has left thousands of passengers stranded or rerouted. While exact figures fluctuate with each strike event, the scale of cancellations provides a clear picture of how deeply these actions are affecting air travel.
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The most prominent union involved, Verdi, orchestrated multiple strikes in 2025, with a notable one-day strike on March 10 affecting key hubs like Frankfurt, Munich, Cologne/Bonn, Düsseldorf, Dortmund, Hannover, Bremen, Hamburg, Berlin, and Leipzig-Halle. This particular strike has grounded more than 3,400 flights, impacting over half a million passengers. Lufthansa, Germany’s flagship airline, has borne the brunt of these disruptions, canceling hundreds of flights at its primary hubs in Frankfurt and Munich alone. On this date, Lufthansa reported significant operational challenges, with estimates suggesting that only 10-20% of its scheduled flights could operate during similar strike actions earlier in the year. Given its extensive network, Lufthansa’s cancellations likely account for a large portion of the total, but it is far from the only airline affected. Other German carriers, such as Eurowings, a Lufthansa subsidiary, have also faced severe disruptions. During a strike on February 1, 2024, Eurowings canceled 92 flights, representing 53% of its scheduled movements, illustrating the vulnerability of smaller domestic airlines to labor actions. Beyond German airlines, international carriers operating to Germany have not been spared. Airlines like Austrian Airlines, Swiss International Air Lines, Turkish Airlines, and even long-haul operators such as United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Cathay Pacific, LATAM, Emirates, Egyptair, and Japan Airlines have canceled flights during past strikes, particularly when security or ground handling services were compromised. For instance, a February 2024 strike led to 571 cancellations across 57 airlines, highlighting the broad impact on both European and global carriers.
Due to a planned strike at Munich Airport on Thursday, February 27th, and Friday, February 28th, 2025, from 00:00 to 23:59 local time, we would like to inform you of the updated flight schedules for Saturday, March 1st, 2025. Contact EGYPTAIR's Call Center or visit our website. pic.twitter.com/jepEsEhXHf
— EGYPTAIR (@EGYPTAIR) February 25, 2025
The exact number of airlines canceling flights varies with each strike, depending on the airports targeted and the scope of the labor action. A strike at Munich Airport from February 27-28, 2025, saw airlines cancel around 80% of flights, with approximately 1,600 connections affected over two days. Meanwhile, the March 10 strike, described as one of the most extensive, likely involved dozens of airlines, given the closure of most major German airports. Airports like Frankfurt, which typically handle over 1,000 flight movements daily, and Munich, with more than 700, become virtual ghost towns during these events, forcing every airline—domestic and international—to adjust schedules or halt operations entirely.
These disruptions stem from ongoing wage disputes exacerbated by inflation and staffing shortages, issues that have plagued Germany’s aviation industry post-pandemic. Ground handling staff, security personnel, and other critical workers are demanding pay increases—Verdi has sought raises of 12.5% or at least €500 monthly—while employers struggle to meet these demands amid economic pressures. The result is a cycle of “warning strikes,” a common German tactic to pressure negotiations, which inevitably ground flights. Passengers are left to navigate rebooking options or refunds, often with limited success due to constrained capacity on alternative routes. In summary, while Lufthansa and Eurowings lead the tally of cancellations, the number of airlines affected by Germany’s 2025 strikes easily reaches into the dozens, encompassing major European players and long-haul international carriers. The March 10 strike alone underscores the scale, with over 3,400 flights canceled across multiple airports, signaling that virtually every airline with a German route is at risk when labor unrest strikes. As negotiations continue, the aviation sector braces for further turbulence with no immediate resolution in sight.