From Wednesday evening, 31 January at 22:00 local time, security staff at most major German airports will be on strike. The strikes will last until 23:59 on Thursday 1 February, depending on the airport. Flight cancellations and long queues are likely.

Are you travelling to or from an airport in Germany? Before you go to the airport, check the flight information on the website of the airport you are visiting. Make sure you get to the airport on time.

Strikes at each airport

The security staff are not on strike at all airports, and the end times of strikes also vary. Based on the latest data:

• Strike: from Wednesday 10pm to Thursday 10pm
  • Berlin
  • Hamburg
  • Hannover

• Strike: Thursday 04:00 to 23:59
  • Bremen
  • Dresden
  • Leipzig/Halle
  • Frankfurt
  • Düsseldorf
  • Stuttgart

There is a possibility that other German airports may also go on strike. However, this has not been confirmed at the time of writing.

No right to compensation in the event of a strike

A strike by airport staff, such as the security guards in this case, is considered to be force majeure for the airlines. As a result, there is nothing the airlines can do about it and they cannot be held liable.

This means that even if a flight is delayed or cancelled, passengers are not entitled to compensation from the airline.

However, they are entitled to alternative flights or to get their tickets refunded. If all goes well, the airline will have contacted you about this; if not, you should contact them yourself.

Why are they on strike?

Airport security staff have decided to go on strike because negotiations between the union and employers have stalled. The trade union Verdi is negotiating on behalf of 25,000 aviation security workers. The guards want to see wages rise by €2.80 an hour over 12 months and higher overtime pay.

“Our aim is to compensate workers for the loss of purchasing power in the long term,” said Verdi chief negotiator Wolfgang Pieper. “Work for aviation security staff must remain financially attractive so that the urgently needed skilled workers can be recruited and retained.”