A day-long warning strike began early Friday morning at Düsseldorf Airport. This was confirmed by a spokesman for the Verdi union.

The union called the 700 workers at baggage and aircraft handler Aviapartner to the walkouts, which began at 3:30 a.m. and are expected to end at 12:30 a.m. on Saturday morning. Around half of all flights at the airport have already been canceled for Friday, the spokesman said.

Aviapartner has a market share of around 75 percent at Düsseldorf Airport. In terms of passenger volume, the airport is the largest in NRW and the third-largest nationwide.

The background to the recusal is a reallocation of the handling tasks, in which Aviapartner did not get a chance. As a result, 700 jobs are at risk, Verdi said. Aviapartner is now refusing a social plan with severance payments for employees threatened with job loss.

Warning strikes by employees of the airport company, ground handling services and aviation security in Berlin had already brought passenger traffic at BER Airport to a standstill on Wednesday. With the action, Verdi wanted to increase the pressure on employers before the next negotiations.