Airlines Fail In Damages Claims Over Strike

August 26, 2015

Several airlines have failed in a bid to claim million of euros in damages from German air traffic controllers' union GdF for a strike at Stuttgart airport in 2009 and for planned strikes in 2011.

A German federal court ruled that four airlines had no right to damages for cancelled, delayed or diverted flights as a result of the six-hour strike on April 6, 2009, because the strike was aimed at the operation of the German air traffic controllers' authority and not the airlines.

The airlines, Lufthansa, Air Berlin, Germanwings and TUIfly, had filed for around EUR€35,000 (USD$40,100) in damages and had already failed in appeals at lower courts.

Separately, Lufthansa, Air Berlin and Ryanair had sought damages of around EUR€3.5 million for two strikes that were planned for August 2011, but which were then not carried out. The court also rejected these claims.

(Reuters)