An IT glitch causes major handicaps at Lufthansa. German air traffic control blocks Frankfurt Airport for landings. The problems also affect Bavarian airports.
Munich (dpa / lby) – Due to an IT glitch at Lufthansa, there are also delays and flight cancellations at Munich Airport on Wednesday. The computer systems for boarding in Frankfurt, among other things, have not been operational since morning. A Lufthansa spokeswoman explained that they are working intensively on a solution. A crisis team met at Lufthansa headquarters.
As a result, an as yet unknown number of flights were delayed or cancelled. Passengers and planes were backed up in Munich and Frankfurt. The passengers were also not allowed into the waiting machines by means of a tally sheet because, according to the staff, important information about the departure was missing. All domestic German flights were initially canceled and passengers were asked to switch to the train.
Several alternative flights from Frankfurt were registered at Nuremberg Airport on Wednesday morning, as a spokesman for the airport said. There are usually four daily Lufthansa connections to Frankfurt from Nuremberg. There were also cancellations of departures and landings.
Lufthansa asked passengers to find out about the status of their flight before driving to the airport. In the event of an impairment, the airline advised not to travel to the airport and to use a chat function to rebook.
Due to the IT breakdown, German air traffic control temporarily closed Frankfurt Airport for landings. This is to prevent the turnstile from filling up, as a spokesman said on Wednesday. The machines are diverted to Nuremberg, Cologne or Düsseldorf, for example.
For Munich there was initially no blocking of air traffic control. In the case of longer-lasting problems, however, this is an option. International flights are also affected by the landing ban, meaning that many transfer passengers will miss their connections.
