A ONE day strike by workers at 13 German airports halted most flights across the country today.

The walkout, which started at midnight, involves public-sector employees at the airports as well as ground and security staff.

At Frankfurt airport, 1,054 of the day’s 1,116 scheduled departures and landings had been cancelled, German news agency dpa reported.

All of Berlin airport’s regular departures and arrivals were cancelled, while there were no departures from Hamburg.

Cologne Bonn airport said there was no regular passenger service and Munich airport advised travellers to expect a “greatly reduced flight schedule.”

The ver.di service workers union announced the strike on Friday. But at Hamburg airport, it added a short-notice walkout on Sunday to the strike today, arguing that it must ensure the measure was effective.

The strike relates to two separate pay disputes: negotiations on a new pay and conditions contract for airport security workers, and a wider dispute over pay for employees of federal and municipal governments.