Operations at Frankfurt Airport return to normal day after strike

Operations at Frankfurt Airport, Germany’s busiest airport hub, have returned to normal after a day strike by aviation security staff at 11 airports nationwide.

There could be a few minor problems at certain points, the spokesman for the operator Fraport said.

He said that during busy periods, passengers could face delays at check-in, security checks and entry and exit points.

His comments came after the strike led to the cancellation of hundreds of flights on Thursday.

The strike forced the closure of security checkpoints at all 11 affected airports, meaning that no travellers could enter the airports and board flights.

Frankfurt, Hamburg, Bremen, Berlin, Leipzig, Dusseldorf, Cologne, Hanover, Stuttgart, Erfurt and Dresden were all hit by the industrial action.

The Fraport spokesman said terminals at Frankfurt Airport were slightly busier on Friday due to the cancellation of more than 300 flights the previous day.

Some 1,137 take-offs and landings are scheduled on Friday at the nation’s largest airport.

Thursday’s strike was called by trade union Verdi which was demanding pay rise of 2.80 euros (3.02 dollars) per hour for about 25,000 workers at private aviation security firms.

The companies had rejected the demand, describing it as too expensive.

They said it would cost 250 million euros a year.

Collective bargaining talks will resume on Tuesday.