Germany’s 'sky blackout': why Berlin airport will halt all operations on March 18
Illustrative photo: Berlin airport (Getty Images)
On Wednesday, March 18, air traffic with Berlin will be suspended. The airport administration has confirmed that all takeoffs and landings have been canceled, and the terminals will be empty, according to a statement from the airport administration on X.
So, it has become known that on March 18, Berlin-Brandenburg Airport (BER) will not handle any regular flights. The reason for the shutdown will be a strike announced by the German trade union Verdi, which represents public sector and transport industry workers.
The strike will affect not only pilots or flight attendants but also ground services, without which airport operations are impossible. Therefore, the BER administration has officially appealed to passengers not to come to the airport, as there will be no assistance available on site.
The strike was announced amid a labor conflict between the union and public sector employers. The parties are negotiating wage increases and working conditions for employees.
Verdi stated that during the second round of negotiations, employers proposed terms that the union's negotiating committee found unacceptable. Due to the lack of a compromise, the parties were unable to reach an agreement, which led to the announcement of the strike.
What should passengers do?
The administration of Berlin-Brandenburg Airport has urged passengers to contact their airlines or tour operators to:
- rebook tickets;
- find alternative routes;
- obtain additional information about delayed or canceled flights.
The strike is expected to seriously impact air traffic in Berlin and the surrounding regions of Germany, as this airport is the capital's main transport hub.
Airlines have already begun warning passengers about possible delays and flight cancellations, and advise checking the status of their flight before traveling to the airport.
The Ukrainian government recently created a working group to prepare for the resumption of airport operations.
Interestingly, the general director of Boryspil Airport, Oleksii Dubrevskyi, previously stated that Boryspil is ready to resume operations within a month of Ukraine's airspace being opened.
