Thousands of vacationers are affected. Disturbed flights, long queues and suitcase chaos. The situation at German airports is critical. The summer holidays have only just begun.
- Federal Police warns about Summer trips 2022: Travelers would have forgotten how to fly.
- 3,000 suitcases stranded at Munich Airport: Owners have been waiting for their luggage for a week.
- Dispatch chaos I am air traffic: Endless queues, delays, cancellations and now also warning strikes.
- flight chaos a German airports: Can skilled workers from Turkey solve the problem?
- This News ticker to the Airport chaos in Germany becomes regular updated.
Update from July 1, 8:07 p.m.: Two northern German federal states are starting their school holidays, and families in North Rhine-Westphalia are approaching the second week of vacation – the waiting times at the airports are sometimes long. Some people had to wait longer at Hamburg Airport early Friday morning. According to the federal police, the waiting times at 4.30 a.m. are up to 60 minutes before the security checkpoints.
It was a busy travel day with 45,000 arrivals and departures, said a spokeswoman for Hamburg Airport on Friday morning. Due to the high volume, the airport opened the terminals at 3:15 a.m. and the check-in counters at 3:30 a.m. In the morning, many families had already flown on vacation. Waiting times are expected to continue during the course of the day, although additional emergency services have already come to the airport to work.
Airport chaos in Germany: warning strikes have had no effect so far
The simultaneous strike by the technical staff has had no effect on airport operations so far, the airport spokeswoman emphasized. Workers at a maintenance company responsible for maintaining the technology in baggage handling, the runways and other technical infrastructure have gone on a one-day warning strike. 30 to 40 employees on the early shift answered the call on Friday before 6.30 a.m., hopefully there would be even more, said Verdi union secretary Lars Stubbe in the morning.
Airport chaos in Germany: Owners of 3000 suitcases have been waiting for their luggage for a week
Update from July 1, 6:11 p.m.: A week after their stopover at Munich Airport, the owners of 3000 suitcases are still waiting for their luggage. Lufthansa said on Friday: “It’s true that around 3,000 pieces of luggage have been stored in Munich since last weekend.” A thunderstorm and restrictions on air traffic control mean that transfer passengers are sometimes unable to make their connecting flight.
This affected passengers from European connecting flights and domestic flights who were rebooked on the train. “We apologize to our guests and are working flat out around the clock to deliver your luggage to you,” Lufthansa announced. However, half of these 3000 suitcases were actually intended for other German airports. They are temporarily sorted in Munich to relieve other German airports that can no longer keep up with their work due to a lack of staff.
Chaos at German airports: second round of negotiations by Lufthansa ground staff
Update from June 30, 9:53 p.m.: The collective bargaining on Thursday afternoon in Frankfurt am Main did not bring any results, as the Verdi union announced in the evening. The second round of negotiations for Lufthansa ground staff is scheduled for July 13, 2022 in Hamburg.
Update from June 30, 6:28 p.m.: Against the background of major handling problems and staff shortages, collective bargaining for around 20,000 Lufthansa ground staff has begun. At the start of talks in a hotel at Frankfurt Airport on Thursday, the Verdi union confirmed its demand for a 9.5 percent jump in wages. The union refrained from accompanying protest actions.
Chaos at German airports: Verdi union demands 9.5 percent more wages
Chief negotiator Christine Behle attributes, among other things, the heavy burdens of dying by dying corona crisis and work intensification as reasons for the demand. Many employees have left the company, so that the task density has become even greater for those who remain. Add to that the high inflation and the three-year waiver of salary increases. Behle, who is also Vice-Chairman of the Lufthansa Supervisory Board, criticized that Lufthansa, with its drastic downsizing during the Corona crisis, contributed to the severely worsening of the situation.
For a period of twelve months, the union will pay special attention to the lower wage groups. The salary increase must be at least 350 euros and, in addition, all hourly wages should differ significantly from the statutory minimum wage, which will rise to 12 euros an hour in October.
Update from June 30, 2:41 p.m: Hamburg Airport is reacting to the travel chaos. At the start of the summer holidays in the north, Hamburg Airport has adjusted its opening hours. In order to cope with the rush of passengers, check-in for the first flights can begin as early as 3:30 a.m., reports Hamburg Airport. Check-in counters and the self-bag-drop machines are ready for this.
Nevertheless, given the staffing problems in air transport, travelers would have to expect long waiting times. “The situation is very tense” and there is “nothing nice to talk about,” said Hamburg airport boss Michael Eggenschwiler on Thursday. Air traffic is currently reaching its limits across Europe every day. He recommends being at the airport two and a half hours before departure, or “a little earlier”, especially for peak flights around midday and between 4pm and 6pm.
Federal police warns about summer trips 2022: Travelers have forgotten how to fly
“Many have forgotten how to fly,” said Vice President of the Federal Police Headquarters in Hanover, Michael Schuol. “Make your preparations at home”, is his appeal. Pack liquids in bags, pay attention to the appropriate amounts, Schuol lists. “No files, no harpoon or weapons belong in hand luggage.” It is also “not helpful” to take several pieces of hand luggage with you because of high luggage fees, then everything takes even longer.
Update from June 30, 2:31 p.m: The summer holidays have only just begun and the airports in Germany and Europe are descending into chaos. A quick solution to the problem hardly seems in sight. One Flight attendant anonymously shared 20 tips and advice on Facebook written down. Anyone planning a flight should take a look.
In the midst of flight chaos: Verdi calls for a strike at Hamburg Airport
Update from June 30, 10:49 am: In the midst of flight chaos, things could get even worse in Hamburg. At the start of the holiday season in the northern German states, Verdi is calling on the technical staff at Hamburg Airport to go on warning strike on Friday (July 1).
Real Estate Maintenance (RMH) is responsible for maintaining the technology in baggage handling, the runways and all other technical infrastructure. The strike is scheduled to begin in the morning shift and will initially last 24 hours. In Schleswig-Holstein and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Friday is the last day of school before the summer holidays.
| Federal State | Summer vacation 2022 |
| Schleswig Holstein | July 4 to August 13, 2022 |
| Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania | July 4 to August 13, 2022 |
| Hamburg | July 7 to August 17, 2022 |
Handling chaos in air traffic: Endless queues, delays and cancellations
Munich – It is probably a debacle with an announcement: German airports are currently completely overwhelmed. There is a lack of staff at check-in, security control and baggage handling. But the increasing number of corona infections among flight staff and ground staff at the airlines is also exacerbating the situation. Flight passengers currently need good nerves and a lot of time.
What that means became apparent Holiday start in North Rhine-Westphalia at Düsseldorf Airport. Suitcases were left behind at the weekend. Travelers had to fly on vacation without luggage. After landing, there were problems unloading. The airport fire brigade had to lend a hand. Staff shortages and a technical breakdown in the baggage sorting machine were the reason for the misery. Not an isolated case: Baggage handling is also working at the capacity limit at other German airports.
The peak travel season is just beginning. Airlines have already thinned out their flight schedules. In addition to the 900 cancellations in July, Lufthansa alone is taking a further 2,200 connections in the summer at the Frankfurt and Munich hubs from the flight plan. Classic holiday destinations should be less affected.
Flight chaos at German airports: Can skilled workers from Turkey solve the problem?
Against the chaos German airports want foreign workers help. “We make it possible for companies to use helpers from abroad, especially from Turkey,” said Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser (SPD) on Wednesday in Berlin after coordinated government proposals.
Frankfurt Airport will hire “several hundred” foreign temporary workers. According to previous assessments, the first could start working in eight weeks, said a spokesman for the operator Fraport on Wednesday. The federal government had previously cleared the way for the milder application in Turkey, among other places. The security check at the state of Hesse alone takes six weeks, explained Fraport. Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) had assured that no compromises would be made on security. This means that the main travel wave during the school holidays would be missed at the largest German airport. “The additional forces still help us a lot,” said the Fraport spokesman.
Lufthansa boss apologizes: flight chaos probably all summer
Lufthansa boss Carsten Spohr is already preparing the passengers for further difficulties in air traffic. The industry is planning several thousand new hires in Europe alone. “However, this increase in capacity will only be announced in a stabilizing way in the coming winter.” He apologized on behalf of the company for the fact that after the Corona slump, the “ramp-up of the complex air traffic system from almost zero to currently almost 90 percent again” did not achieve the desired reliability , punctuality and robustness. The manager admitted that the Lufthansa Group also lacked staff in some areas. From next summer, the group intends to use the A380 aircraft, which have since been decommissioned. (ml/dpa)