According to eyewitnesses at Dusseldorf Airport, German Federal Police had a difficult time calming passengers down at check-in counters, security lanes, and gates.
Some check-in and counter agents working for Lufthansa and its affiliate Eurowings left their posts in protest, unable to deal with angry passengers.
Friday was the beginning of the summer vacation season in the German State of North Rhine Westpahlia. Duesseldorf is the capital city of the state, and thousands of families were looking forward to their first vacation after the COVID-19 lockdowns.
Lufthansa is planning to cut more than 3000 flights this summer after cutting back already 5%
The reason is staff shortages.
Staffing issues are not only an issue in Germany, but the main issue for flight interruptions in many European countries, the United States, and Canada.
German Airline Lufthansa is cutting 2,200 out of 80,000 flights to and from Frankfurt and Munich. These are the main hubs for this giant airliner.
Most canceled flights are inter-European connections, but Munich- Los Angeles was also canceled today.
Lufthansa’s own low-cost carrier, Eurowings, also announced “several hundred fewer flights” in July.
In addition to staff shortage, Lufthansa reported an increase in sick leave over the last few days.
