On Sunday, Deutsche Lufthansa AG announced the cancellation of some flights due to technical difficulties, just hours before a major strike was set to take place, threatening to cause severe disruption to air and rail services across Germany. The carrier stated that external service providers had caused the delays and cancellations, which mainly affected check-in and boarding at Frankfurt airport, and that the issues had been mostly resolved.
Lufthansa also said it would offer alternative connections and rebookings on trains. However, the Verdi and EVG transport and railway unions planned to begin a 24-hour industrial action at midnight, with the unions expecting significant travel disruption. Verdi is demanding a 10.5% wage increase for public sector workers. Major airports in Germany, including Frankfurt, will not operate on Monday, and Frankfurt Airport has advised passengers to avoid changing planes there. Deutsche Bahn and other railways will also come to a standstill, according to EVG. The disruptions come ahead of Easter, a peak travel period, and after years of Covid-19 restrictions.