Millions faced having to make alternative travel plans on Thursday as parallel transport strikes crippled Germany’s rail and air transport systems. Staff at national airline Lufthansa and rail operator Deutsche Bahn are demanding higher pay. How will the strikes take effect? Germany’s long-distance and regional rail network came to a halt as train drivers began a 35-hour strike over wages. That walkout coincided with a two-day strike by ground staff at Lufthansa, with Germany’s national carrier expected to fly just 10% to 20% of its original schedule. Deutsche Bahn said it expected “massive disruptions” on Thursday and Friday, with the aim of returning to normal by Saturday. With regional transport, the train operator said it expected to run a “greatly reduced service,” but that the extent of disruption would vary significantly from region to region. In air travel, Lufthansa ground staff are staging a nationwide strike from Thursday into Saturday, while security staff at Frankfurt and Hamburg airports were also holding a one-day walkout on Thursday. Operations at both hubs were expected to be severely hampered.
Parallel strikes disrupt rail and air travel in Germany | DW News
