What do we know?
A spokesperson for Hamburg Airport informed DPA news agency that out of 144 arrivals and 139 departures scheduled for Sunday, only 10 early morning flights operated as planned.
DPA reported that the remaining flights have been cancelled.
“As a consequence, the airport has been closed immediately,” the spokesperson told DPA.
NDR reported many passengers were left stranded due to the sudden strike, with difficulties in retrieving their luggage after having checked in.
Strike initially planned for Monday
The union Verdi announced “warning strikes” at approximately a dozen German airports starting Monday over wage disputes.
Verdi stated that Munich, Stuttgart, Frankfurt/Main, Cologne/Bonn, Düsseldorf, Dortmund, Hanover, Bremen, Hamburg, Berlin-Brandenburg, and Leipzig-Halle airports will be affected.
Airport association ADV estimates that more than 510,000 travelers may experience flight delays or cancellations.
Approximately 3,400 flights are expected to be cancelled on Monday.
In Hamburg, the strike was originally scheduled to begin late Sunday evening and end late Monday.
A Verdi spokesperson told DW, “The walkout was necessary to adequately demonstrate the impact of the strike.”
Edited by: Kieran Burke
