Travellers leaving Germany for the festive break encountered chaos over the weekend of 21–22 December that spilled into the working week. A 12-hour walk-out by ground-handling staff organised by the Ver.di union coincided with the first full-scale use of the EU’s new Entry/Exit System (EES). Frankfurt, Munich and Düsseldorf airports recorded average departure delays of 55 minutes, with some queues stretching the length of terminal concourses.
Under EES, all third-country nationals must give four fingerprints and a facial image the first time they enter the Schengen Area. German hubs have installed more than 300 self-service kiosks, but staffing remains tight—especially when seasoned handlers are on strike for higher Christmas bonuses. Airlines complained that unfamiliar passengers ignored pre-registration advice, further slowing the process.
![Holiday Strikes and EU Biometric Checks Create Perfect Storm at German Airports]()
For travellers who want to avoid being caught out by last-minute documentation surprises, VisaHQ offers an easy online portal that walks users through every requirement for Germany and the wider Schengen zone—including EES registration guidance and real-time updates on strike-related disruptions. The service’s digital application tools and live chat support can shave valuable minutes off airport processing, and corporate travel departments can integrate VisaHQ’s dashboard directly into their mobility platforms. More details are available at https://www.visahq.com/germany/.
Corporate impact: Lufthansa issued a ‘book-with-confidence’ waiver, allowing free changes until 26 December. Several Fortune 500 mobility managers told Global Mobility News they now advise executives to arrive at least four hours ahead of departure and to complete the EES Mobile pre-check. Travel-risk consultants warn that residual backlogs could persist through 27 December as displaced passengers re-book.
Policy outlook: The strike underscores a broader trend of labour unrest in Germany’s transport sector, adding a layer of unpredictability just as new border-technology roll-outs demand smooth operations. The Interior Ministry says it will station extra federal police at bottleneck airports over the next ten days and may authorise overtime to handle biometric capture. Meanwhile, Ver.di has not ruled out further action during the New Year peak, keeping mobility planners on alert.
Under EES, all third-country nationals must give four fingerprints and a facial image the first time they enter the Schengen Area. German hubs have installed more than 300 self-service kiosks, but staffing remains tight—especially when seasoned handlers are on strike for higher Christmas bonuses. Airlines complained that unfamiliar passengers ignored pre-registration advice, further slowing the process.
For travellers who want to avoid being caught out by last-minute documentation surprises, VisaHQ offers an easy online portal that walks users through every requirement for Germany and the wider Schengen zone—including EES registration guidance and real-time updates on strike-related disruptions. The service’s digital application tools and live chat support can shave valuable minutes off airport processing, and corporate travel departments can integrate VisaHQ’s dashboard directly into their mobility platforms. More details are available at https://www.visahq.com/germany/.
Corporate impact: Lufthansa issued a ‘book-with-confidence’ waiver, allowing free changes until 26 December. Several Fortune 500 mobility managers told Global Mobility News they now advise executives to arrive at least four hours ahead of departure and to complete the EES Mobile pre-check. Travel-risk consultants warn that residual backlogs could persist through 27 December as displaced passengers re-book.
Policy outlook: The strike underscores a broader trend of labour unrest in Germany’s transport sector, adding a layer of unpredictability just as new border-technology roll-outs demand smooth operations. The Interior Ministry says it will station extra federal police at bottleneck airports over the next ten days and may authorise overtime to handle biometric capture. Meanwhile, Ver.di has not ruled out further action during the New Year peak, keeping mobility planners on alert.
