Frankfurt Airport, Europe's third busiest, is expecting widespread delays and flight cancellations when ground workers walk off the job in a dispute over pay and working conditions.
The GdF union, which represents air traffic control employees, has called for workers overseeing operations on the tarmac to go on strike from 3pm to 10pm local time on Thursday, and from 8am to 10pm on Friday.
GdF is engaged in a dispute with airport operator Fraport over pay and working conditions for some 200 ground workers. With 1300 daily takeoffs and landings Frankfurt Airport is a key European hub behind London's Heathrow and Paris' Charles de Gaulle.
Fraport spokesman Juergen Harrer said the airport's goal is to maintain at least half of those flights during the strikes, using other employees and ground workers not on strike to take over the duties of those off the job, which include things like helping park aircraft after they have landed.
