BERLIN/FRANKFURT/COLOGNE (dpa-AFX) - Lawsuits filed by passengers over delayed or cancelled flights are increasingly challenging the judiciary. According to the German Association of Judges, the 19 courts located near major German airports handled more than 121,000 compensation cases from travelers last year. This represents a 44 percent increase (approximately 37,000 lawsuits) compared to five years ago, according to reports.
According to the data, passenger proceedings now account for significantly more than half of all civil cases (about 60 percent) at many courts. At the Königs Wusterhausen District Court, which has jurisdiction over the capital's BER airport, this share is as high as 93 percent. The rising numbers present the court with "significant long-term challenges," a spokesperson stated.
Significant Increase in Brandenburg and Frankfurt
According to the Association of Judges, 19,239 compensation claims from travelers were filed at the Brandenburg court in 2025 - approximately 24 percent more than the previous year. This placed the court third in a nationwide comparison. The Cologne District Court took the top spot in 2025 with 22,491 cases (2024: nearly 41,300 lawsuits), followed by the Frankfurt District Court with 19,374 lawsuits (2024: around 16,000 cases).
Cologne Remains at the Top Despite Decline
While the Hessian metropolis saw about 21 percent more cases compared to the previous year, the number in Cologne dropped by almost half. From the perspective of the Association of Judges, this significant decline is likely due to Lufthansa increasingly seeking out-of-court settlements. Furthermore, the airline reported significantly more punctual operations for the 2025 fiscal year, resulting in fewer compensation cases. Europe's largest aviation group has its legal headquarters in the cathedral city, home to Cologne-Bonn Airport.
According to the Association of Judges, the sharp decline at the Cologne District Court in particular led to nearly 10,000 fewer passenger lawsuits nationwide in 2025 (2024: approximately 131,000 cases).
According to judicial authorities, passengers have the choice of taking legal action either at the company's headquarters or at the place of departure. Increasingly, people are using portals to enforce their claims quickly and easily.
Insufficient AI Support
In the view of the Association of Judges, the judiciary is not sufficiently equipped for this. "AI-supported judicial assistance systems, which enable faster processing of these uniform mass cases, are still in the testing phase," Federal Managing Director Sven Rebehn told the Deutsche Presse-Agentur. There is a lack of ready-to-use standard software that can record cases in seconds, compare them with previous rulings, filter out claims, and suggest decisions. "This AI assistance would simplify procedures and noticeably relieve the courts," said Rebehn./mvk/DP/zb
