Emirates cancels Dubai - Dusseldorf flights as German airport staff strike

Dubai: Emirates’ flights to and from Dusseldorf, on February 27, will remain cancelled, the airline said in a statement on Sunday.

Emirates said the flights had been cancelled due to the general strike announced at the Dusseldorf airport. Flights EK055, EK056, EK057, and flights EK058 travelling to and from Dubai to Düsseldorf stand cancelled.

Several major German airports have been brought to a standstill after hundreds of ground crew walked out on strike in a row over pay.

“Customers connecting to Düsseldorf on the impacted flights will not be accepted for travel at the point of origin,” said Emirates. “We regret any inconvenience caused to our customers,” the airline added.

Last week, UAE’s national carrier Etihad Airways announced that the strike affected flights to and from Frankfurt and Munich.

Etihad plans to boost its operations in the German city of Frankfurt starting May 1. Last month, the airline said it would add an extra four services a week to its current daily frequency, bringing the total number of flights to Frankfurt up to 11 weekly.

More than 2,300 flights have been cancelled, affecting 300,000 passengers, as aircraft are grounded at Frankfurt, Munich, Stuttgart, Bremen, Hamburg, Hanover and Dortmund. Members of the Ver.di union and Civil Service Association demand a 10.5 per cent pay increase for workers.