Airport strike in Munich on Thursday and Friday: All information for travelers

Following the warning strikes at Düsseldorf and Cologne/Bonn airports, the Verdi union has now also called for work stoppages at Munich airport.

According to Verdi, travelers must expect severe disruptions to air traffic, as was already the case at the two NRW airports. There was also a strike at Hamburg Airport.

The two-day warning strike at Munich Airport is scheduled to start on Thursday and last until Friday .

On the displays at Düsseldorf Airport there is a notice about the ongoing strike.

Source: Christoph Reichwein/dpa

It is not yet clear which flights will be affected by the strikes. However, the union announced that it expects major disruptions , as security checks and ground services are affected, among other things, as Manuela Dietz of Verdi explained.

Due to the strike by ground staff at airports, it is important for travelers to know what rights they have.

What should you do now? First of all, keep calm. The rights of air travelers flying from, within or to the EU are very extensive. If a flight lands in the EU, the airline must also be based in the EU for your flight to fall under the European Air Passenger Rights Regulation .

• If your flight is affected by the strike, your airline must inform you - or the tour operator if it is a package holiday.
• If the delay is more than three hours or if the flight is cancelled, passengers are entitled to alternative transport; if the delay is more than five hours, they have the right to cancel free of charge.
• Anyone who has to wait a long time at the airport because of a strike has the right to food. Anyone who is stranded even has the right to accommodation and transport there and back.

In the event of a strike by local government ground staff, there is usually no entitlement to compensation, as this is not within the direct control of the airlines. In principle, however, the airline in question must take care of food and accommodation for those affected if a flight is delayed or cancelled due to a strike. Claudia Brosche from "Flightright" also confirms this: "In the event of a strike by ground handlers, air travelers always have the choice between a refund of the ticket price or free alternative transport to their destination."

"Airlines are obliged to either refund the ticket price within seven days or, if requested, to transport passengers to their destination as quickly as possible using an alternative. Alternative means of transport such as trains, buses, trains or taxis and flight connections with other airlines must also be taken into account," said Brosche.

Exception: In exceptional cases, travelers may also be entitled to compensation in such a case. "If the flight does not fall into the immediate strike phase, but is canceled due to the effects of the strike, claims for compensation should be examined," says Lena Knoblauch from the passenger rights portal "Flightright" when asked by the travel reporter.

"Even flight cancellations before the official first day of the strike do not usually exempt the airline from paying compensation. The ECJ justified this by saying that otherwise a passenger would be completely unprotected if an airline could also cite incidents whose solution is in its hands," said the expert.

We have written down in detail here all the rights of air travellers in the event of a strike and what alternative travel options there are.

with dpa material

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