Dubai: Passengers travelling between the UAE and Germany on Thursday are likely to face delays or even cancellations due to a strike by German airport staff.
Trade union Verdi has called for a walkout by ground staff, baggage handlers and maintenance workers at Germany’s major airports over a pay dispute.
An Etihad Airways spokesperson stated that its Frankfurt services would be directly impacted by the strike.
Etihad services to and from Frankfurt International airport on Thursday will instead land and take off from Dusseldorf, the spokesperson stated. Passengers will be taken by bus between the two German airports.
Emirates, however, is confident the strikes will have only a minor impact and has forecast minor delays on its two Frankfurt flights on Thursday, according to an airline spokesperson.
It is unclear how many airports will be impacted by the strike but Frankfurt and Munich, used by Emirates and Etihad, have warned of major disruptions and flight cancellations on their websites.
Emirates also flies to Dusseldorf and Hamburg. Etihad also flies to Dusseldorf and Hahn.
Hamburg airport has stated on its website that it does not expect significant delays on Thursday.
A Lufthansa spokesperson said that its flights between the UAE and Frankfurt and Munich are likely to face one to three hour delays but would not rule out the possibility of cancellations.
Airberlin, Etihad’s equity partner, said on Wednesday that it is unclear how its Berlin-Abu Dhabi service will be affected.
European and German domestic flights are expected to feel the brunt of the strikes. Lufthansa has said it will cancel around 600 such flights.
