Berlin airport grounds all flights over pay row

BERLIN - As many as around 300 flights were canceled at Berlin airport on Wednesday due to workers' protest, disrupting the flight operations totally. 

The disruption occurred at the Brandenburg Airport, interrupting multiple sectors in Europe which rely on transportation. The cancelled flights directly affected around 35,000 passengers and as many families who awaited their loved ones.

The airport stated that affected passengers were asked to contact their airline for information on rebooking and alternative travel options due to the protest by the Verdi union.

The row over pay led employees in security, ground handling services and the company running the airport to halt the travel operations in what appears to be a mega show of mismanagement. 

A spokesperson for the airport confirmed that the airport was passing through turbulent times financially but said work is underway to make it financially independent.

The union pressing for protest said on Monday that reason for the strike was parallel pay negotiations for which no solution has yet been found in all three areas. The union underscored that it expects many workers to participate and all air traffic to and from Berlin to be affected by the all-day strike.

It is to be mentioned that 164,293 aircraft took off and landed at the airport in question last year, up from 105,740 in 2021.