Airport security agents represented by the services union ver.di walked off the job at 00:00 on 27 January 2026, paralysing passenger screening at Düsseldorf (DUS) and Cologne/Bonn (CGN) airports for 24 hours. The industrial action follows five fruitless rounds of collective bargaining with the Federal Association of Aviation Security Companies (BDLS). Ver.di is demanding a €2.80 per-hour wage increase, higher functional allowances and overtime premiums from the first hour worked.
Both airports had urged airlines to pre-emptively cancel or consolidate flights. By mid-morning Düsseldorf had scrapped 192 of 389 scheduled departures and arrivals, while Cologne/Bonn reported 78 cancellations. Lufthansa and Eurowings rerouted some feeder services to Frankfurt and Munich, forcing travellers onto rail connections and prolonging typical door-to-door journey times by three to five hours.
![24-Hour ver.di Strike Closes Security Check-Points at Düsseldorf and Cologne/Bonn Airports]()
For travellers whose itineraries cannot be postponed, making sure travel documentation is flawless becomes even more critical when last-minute rerouting is likely. VisaHQ’s Germany portal (https://www.visahq.com/germany/) streamlines visa applications, provides real-time status tracking and posts the latest entry, health and transit rules, helping passengers and mobility teams adapt quickly as the strike situation evolves.
Travel-management firms such as FCM and CWT advised corporate clients to avoid same-day trips to North Rhine-Westphalia and to issue remote-work guidance to employees already on assignment. Cargo operations were less affected, as freight screening is performed by separate units with a different collective agreement.
Although the walkout ended at midnight, ver.di warned that further strikes are “probable” if employers do not return to the table with an improved offer. Mobility managers with talent flying into Germany should monitor contingency plans and build extra layover buffers into itineraries for the next two weeks.
Both airports had urged airlines to pre-emptively cancel or consolidate flights. By mid-morning Düsseldorf had scrapped 192 of 389 scheduled departures and arrivals, while Cologne/Bonn reported 78 cancellations. Lufthansa and Eurowings rerouted some feeder services to Frankfurt and Munich, forcing travellers onto rail connections and prolonging typical door-to-door journey times by three to five hours.
For travellers whose itineraries cannot be postponed, making sure travel documentation is flawless becomes even more critical when last-minute rerouting is likely. VisaHQ’s Germany portal (https://www.visahq.com/germany/) streamlines visa applications, provides real-time status tracking and posts the latest entry, health and transit rules, helping passengers and mobility teams adapt quickly as the strike situation evolves.
Travel-management firms such as FCM and CWT advised corporate clients to avoid same-day trips to North Rhine-Westphalia and to issue remote-work guidance to employees already on assignment. Cargo operations were less affected, as freight screening is performed by separate units with a different collective agreement.
Although the walkout ended at midnight, ver.di warned that further strikes are “probable” if employers do not return to the table with an improved offer. Mobility managers with talent flying into Germany should monitor contingency plans and build extra layover buffers into itineraries for the next two weeks.
