UPS pilots say they will not fly their company's aircraft out of the shipping company's hub in Cologne during a 24-hour strike by German ground workers at the Cologne Bonn Airport.
The Independent Pilots Association union at UPS said about 80 of its members will honor the picket lines at the Cologne Bonn Airport, which it estimated will affect nearly 60 flights in and out of the airport.
The UPS pilots union said it was asked by the union representing ground staff at the Cologne airport to withhold its services during the 24-hour strike of German public service workers that starts at midnight German time Tuesday night, or 6 p.m. EDT Tuesday evening. The move comes after the UPS pilots union recently said its own contract negotiations are in "crunch time."
UPS issued a statement saying it is working on contingencies.
"UPS understands that an anticipated public sector strike in Cologne could impact its operations. We are unable to determine the impact and are taking actions to mitigate potential delays. We are relying upon our integrated network and will divert volume from air to road where appropriate," the company said in its statement.
Credit: Kelly Yamanouchi
Credit: Kelly Yamanouchi
The strike is also expected to affect other airports in Germany.
While Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines said it is not cancelling flights due to the strike, it did warn passengers that travel to, from or through certain cities in Germany could be affected. The airline is waiving certain change fees for passengers with flights booked to, from or through Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Hannover and Munich who want to change their travel plans.
