Lufthansa Cargo is warning that a public sector strike could disrupt operations at key Germany airports today (Wednesday 27 April).
The ver.di trade union called a strike starting at 00.01 today that could affect ground handling and some airport fire services at Frankfurt, Munich, Düsseldorf, Cologne/Bonn, Dortmund and Hanover-Langenhagen airports.
The carrier warns that there could be “huge numbers of flight cancellations, particularly at the Lufthansa home hubs, Frankfurt and Munich.” However, Eurowings long-haul connections at Cologne are expected to be able to operate as scheduled and the Austrian Airlines hub in Vienna is not affected.
Lufthansa Cargo envisages that it will operate all planned cargo connections on 27 April but some flight times will be pushed back by several hours. Flight LH8170 from Frankfurt to Atlanta is worst affected and is likely to be delayed by 24 hours.
The ver.di strikes also have a significant impact on the belly capacity available on passenger aircraft with no flights available throughout the day to or from Munich. However, flights from Frankfurt Riyadh (LH622), Detroit (LH442), Philadelphia (LH426), Kansai (LH740) and Caracas (LH534) will be available for cargo booking but flights with a scheduled arrival in Frankfurt of up to 16.00 local time will not. In Cologne, Eurowings flight EW106 to Bangkok will be available for cargo bookings. Where possible, continental cargo bookings will be transferred to road feeder services, adds Lufthansa.
Customers can find up-to-date information on the status of their shipments in the TrackIT system.
Approximately eighty members of the Independent Pilots Association working for excpress carrier UPS pilots have said that they will not ver.di picket lines at Cologne Bonn airport
It is estimated that the strike will affect about 60 UPS flights.
Lufthansa Cargo was hit by a series of long-running strikes by its own pilots and cabin crew last year, which contributed to a decline in cargo carryings and load factors in 2015.
