Emirates
Apart from cancellations, there will also be delays to some flight services as a result of the strike called by German airport staff. Image Credit: Emirates/twitter

Dubai: Emirates has cancelled flights to and from German airports in Hamburg and Düsseldorf on April 20 and 21, the airline said in a statement on Thursday.

Emirates said the flights had been cancelled due to the general strike announced at these airports by the security staff. Flights EK058, EK060, EK057, and EK062 to Dusseldorf and Hamburg remain cancelled on April 20. Meanwhile, flights EK058 and EK062 to Düsseldorf and Hamburg on April 21 have also been cancelled.

Some flight delays have also been announced, including for flight EK060, scheduled for April 21, which will be delayed and depart from Hamburg on April 22 at 05.30 pm and will operate instead as EK8060. “Customers with bookings on the delayed flight will be rebooked to their final destination,” said Emirates.

According to Etihad's spokesperson, the Abu Dhabi carrier's flights to Hamburg are operating as usual. Economy seats on April 21 flights are sold out and flights to Dusseldorf are also operating as usual.

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UAE carriers Emirates and Etihad were forced to cancel flights in February and March as well. This is the third time UAE-Germany flights have had to be cancelled due to industrial action in German airports. The cancellations and flight delays over the next two days come as a huge inconvenience to UAE residents and travellers who have planned trips to Germany during the Eid holidays.

Airports in Dubai and Abu Dhabi are gearing up for the busy travel weekend ahead of Eid. Meanwhile, airports in Europe and the UK have been wrestling with myriad issues as the post-pandemic travel boom took effect.

On Wednesday, Hamburg Airport said all departures would be cancelled or take place without passengers on Thursday and Friday due to a strike, with around 80,000 passengers likely to be affected. Arrivals will still be possible, it added.

The reason for the strikes are negotiations between Verdi and the Federal Association of Aviation Security Companies (BDLS) on time bonuses for night shifts, Saturdays, Sundays and work on public holidays.