Lufthansa Restores Schedule After Dual Pilot-Cabin-Crew Strike Grounds 100,000 Travellers
Munich Security Conference Triggers 5,000-Officer Operation and Temporary Airspace Closure
Security Incident Halts All Departures at Cologne/Bonn Airport
Latest News
Lufthansa strike grounds nearly 800 flights and strands 100,000 passengers across Germany
A 24-hour walk-out by Lufthansa’s pilot and cabin-crew unions on 12 February 2026 cancelled nearly 800 flights, affecting some 100,000 passengers and large volumes of air-cargo. Frankfurt and Munich bore the heaviest losses, while Lufthansa struggled to rebook travellers in the middle of two major international events. The dispute centres on pensions, pay scales and the fate of regional carrier CityLine, with unions warning of further action. Mobility managers should expect sporadic disruption and build contingency buffers into German travel plans.
Berlin faces political backlash after Interior Ministry freezes funding for voluntary integration courses
Germany’s Interior Ministry has ordered an immediate halt to publicly funded integration courses for migrants who are not legally required to attend, citing cost savings. The SPD and other parties decry the freeze as self-defeating, warning it will hamper labour-market integration and raise private training costs for employers. Companies should budget for alternative language provision and expect onboarding delays while the political dispute plays out.
BAMF sinks €25 million into ‘FLORA’ blockchain as 47 % of German asylum cases go digital
A netzpolitik.org investigation reveals that Germany’s migration authority has spent over €25 million on FLORA, a blockchain platform now handling 47 % of asylum cases. Supporters say the tamper-proof ledger will help Germany meet tighter EU asylum deadlines, while critics highlight five-fold budget overruns and data-protection risks. Faster, digital decisions could expand the labour pool, but employers should track privacy compliance and implementation timelines as the rollout widens to all federal states.
Munich beefs up rail security and passenger flow ahead of 62nd Munich Security Conference
Up to 280 extra federal police officers will patrol Munich’s stations and S-Bahn network during the 13–15 February Munich Security Conference. The deployment aims to smooth passenger flows for high-level delegations and ordinary commuters alike, but travellers should expect spot checks and minor delays. Lessons learned will feed into Germany’s wider ‘Station Guard’ security model for future major events.
Border police seize €59,000 at Aachen checkpoint in latest signal of tightened cash controls
Bundespolizei officers seized €59,000 in undeclared cash during a routine stop at the Dutch–German border near Aachen, highlighting Germany’s stricter Schengen-internal controls. Travellers must declare cash above €10,000 or risk confiscation and fines. Companies should brief cross-border staff on the rules and consider electronic payment methods to avoid disruption.