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Air travel in the capital city of Germany is set to come to a complete standstill tomorrow. While Berlin used to be served by two different airports, namely Schönefeld (SXF) and Tegel (TXL), it now has just one, with the former having been upgraded and expanded to serve as the new Berlin Willy Brandt Brandenburg Airport (BER). Unfortunately, this has left the city with minimal redundancy if a strike occurs, as will be the case tomorrow.
Indeed, from 4:00 am to 10:59 pm on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, employees based at the airport who are represented by the Verdi (Vereinte Dienstleistungsgewerkschaft) trade union have been called to go on strike, following the group’s dissatisfaction at ongoing pay negotiations. While Berlin isn’t as big a hub as other German airports, such as Frankfurt (FRA) and Munich (MUC), the strike is still set to result in extensive disruption.
Insufficient Pay Raises Have Prompted The Strike
As confirmed in a notice posted on its website, 
Berlin Brandenburg Airport is set to grind to a halt tomorrow as Verdi members undertake a warning strike. The facility confirms that “no scheduled passenger flights will be possible” during the 19-hour walkout, and it is advising its passengers to “contact [their] airline or tour operator for information on rebooking and alternative travel options.” But why is such dramatic action being taken?
In a statement of its own, the Verdi group accused the airport of a “blockade in the ongoing collective bargaining negotiations,” whereby its latest pay offer has been rejected by union reps as being ‘non-negotiable.’ The key sticking point is that the airport is only offering a 1% year-on-year pay rise between now and 2028, which, when offset against the rising cost of living, works out as an overall decrease in real terms. Verdi’s Holger Rößler said:
“This is not a serious offer. (…) Anyone who offers employees practically only 1% more wages per year over several years, while the cost of living rises, shows no appreciation for their work.”
Tens Of Thousands Of Passengers Will Be Impacted
According to PAX News, a combined total of 445 arrivals and departures are set to be shelved at Berlin Brandenburg Airport tomorrow, resulting in disruption to around 57,000 passengers. The next round of negotiations is pencilled in for Wednesday, March 25, and both parties will hope for an amicable resolution.
It is worth noting that it won’t be a blanket walkout affecting the airport. Indeed, Berlin.de notes that, while Verdi represents around 2,000 workers at the facility in areas such as air traffic control, the fire department, and terminal management, employees in other areas, such as ground handling and security, are represented by other unions. However, the lack of such personnel means that, regardless, no flights will be able to operate tomorrow.
Per Cirium, an aviation analytics company, Berlin’s top destination by scheduled departures tomorrow would have been Munich, with ten Lufthansa flights pencilled in. It is followed by Frankfurt, London Heathrow (LHR), and Vienna (VIE), with eight flights respectively planned by Lufthansa, BA, and Austrian Airlines.
Strikes At Several German Airports Set To Force Hundreds Of Cancellations
The latest round of walkouts to hit German airports.
Lufthansa Will Allow Passengers To Travel By Train Instead
While replacement flights will be hard to come by, German flag carrier 
Lufthansa is looking to ease the disruption to its passengers in Berlin by allowing them to travel free of charge on long-distance high-speed rail services instead, as part of its ongoing partnership with Deutsche Bahn. This offer applies to all of its domestic flights to and from Berlin, with affected passengers also able to add a seat reservation to their booking at no cost.
Eligible International Rail Replacement Routes | |
|---|---|
Country | Destination |
Austria | Salzburg, Vienna, Innsbruck, Linz, Graz |
Belgium | Brussels |
Czech Republic | Prague |
France | Paris |
Hungary | Budapest |
Luxembourg | Luxembourg |
Netherlands | Amsterdam |
Poland | Warsaw |
Switzerland | Basel, Geneva, Zurich |
Additionally, this service will also be made available by Deutsche Bahn and the Lufthansa Group on a selection of international routes. Specifically, guests who had planned to fly between Berlin and “Amsterdam, Brussels, Luxembourg, Paris, Basel, Geneva, Zurich, Salzburg, Vienna, Innsbruck, Linz, Graz, Budapest, Prague, and Warsaw” can avail of the offer. While this will result in longer journey times, it will, at least, keep guests moving.
