Frankfurt/Main – The planes took off – but thousands of people didn’t get to Germany’s most important airport! On Saturday morning, hundreds of farmers closed the access roads to the airport. The situation has eased again since late morning.
Saturday, 6:30 a.m., in a forest just before Frankfurt/Main Airport (Hesse): At the front there is a tractor with the sign: “Traffic light deselection”, behind it countless lights and a deafening concert of horns. The announcement before the largest farmers’ demonstration this weekend is: “We will close the streets that the police don’t close.”
Meeting point Saturday night at 3 a.m.: The angry farmers from East Hesse met in Erlensee
The most important airport access routes via the A3 and A5 motorways (Zeppelinheim junction) were closed, as was the B 43 airport ring. “North of Frankfurt Airport counterclockwise west around the airport via Mörfelden to Cargo City South and after a U-turn back clockwise. The tour ends in the direction of Schwanheim,” the Hessian farmers’ association explained the planned route.
The Frankfurt police had already warned in advance on “X” (formerly Twitter): “Visitors should use public transport!” Impairments are expected until the afternoon hours.
Late in the morning, the police gave the first all-clear: “Most of the access routes to the airport are open again. Anyone who has to go to Terminal 1 or 2 will be allowed through. There have been no special incidents so far,” police spokesman Bintu Lond told BILD.
The tractors are now rolling around the airport to the cargo terminal. A short rally will take place there at the Airlift Memorial. According to the police, there are only 400 to 500 tractors, the organizers say there are around 1,000. The farmers’ protest is directed against the expiry of tax refunds for agricultural diesel.
And the next strike shock is already imminent for passengers: On Sunday and Monday, passengers from Lufthansa’s travel subsidiary “Discover Airlines” have to make cancellations and fear deletions. The “Cockpit” pilots’ association is on strike.