Massive warning strike on BER: 69,000 passengers affected by flight cancellations!

Massive warning strike on BER: 69,000 passengers affected by flight cancellations!

On Monday, March 9, 2025, Berlin-Brandenburg (BER) Airport will completely stop regular flight operations due to an announced warning strike of the Verdi union. As reported [Tagesspiegel], the strike leads to a loss of sales of at least 1.5 million euros for the airport. However, this does not affect the financial losses that catering and trading companies have to accept in the airport.

Axel Schmidt, spokesman for the airport company Berlin-Brandenburg (FBB), explained that between 3:30 a.m. and 11:59 p.m. all 492 planned arrival and departure on BER will be canceled. Up to 69,000 passengers are affected. The warning strikes are part of nationwide collective bargaining, and employees of the air security areas are also called for strike. An exception is the operation of government flights, medical flights and emergency landings.

scope and effects of the strike

Verdi called up to 23,000 employees to participate in the strikes. As part of the measures, a total of 3,400 flights were canceled in terms of over 500,000 passengers. In the collective bargaining, the union calls for around 2.5 million employees 8 % wage increase or at least 350 euros more per month including additional free days.

The employers have so far not submitted any specific offer, which further exacerbates the escalating situation. Christine Behle von Verdi described the strike without alternative and asked the passengers for understanding. These demands should not only affect payment, but also improvements in occupational health and health protection, about 30 days of vacation and additional days for shift work.

reactions and reviews

The employers' association of air security companies (BDLS) criticized the warning strikes as excessive. Ralph Beisel, Managing Director of the ADV Airport Association, said that airports should be seen as a critical infrastructure that must be secured for the public to avoid such strikes. The economic consequences of the strikes are perceived as significant because they concern not only the airlines, but also the connected service providers and the entire ecosystem of the airports.

An investigation into the economic damage to strikes shows that they often have more far -reaching consequences than visible at first glance. In 2023, for example, over 639,000 working days were lost in Germany, which led to a significant loss of working hours. These outline a picture of the great economic losses that can be caused by industrial action without taking into account the large number of indirect costs that affect uninvolved third parties.

passengers are advised to inform themselves about rebookings and possible alternatives from the respective airlines or tour operators. Airlines are legally obliged to offer replacement flights or alternatives; Ticket prices can be refunded. The expected start of operation on Tuesday after the strike should be normalized in the best case.