After the chaos during check-in at the airports, air travelers again have to show strong nerves: Because the software in a control center of the German air traffic control went on strike, air traffic was disrupted throughout Europe for several hours.
Problems installing new air traffic control software affected large parts of air traffic over Germany on Wednesday morning. In the headquarters in Langen near Frankfurt, the possible volume of traffic had to be reduced by half for several hours, as a spokeswoman for the federal German Air Traffic Control (DFS) reported. Normal operation was possible again from 9 a.m.
The Center Langen controls the lower airspace in central Germany with important airports such as Düsseldorf, Cologne and Frankfurt. The area extends from Kassel to Lake Constance and from the French border to Thuringia. Overflights are not affected because the upper airspace is monitored by controllers in Karlsruhe.
DFS initially did not provide any information on the exact extent of the delays and diversions. There have also been handling problems at the airports for weeks because there is a lack of staff in ground handling services, at the check-in counters and in some cases also at passenger controls. The industry is working with the federal government to find solutions. Auxiliary workers from abroad are to be deployed at short notice.
