Lufthansa returns to normal flight operations eff. April 22

Lufthansa returns to normal flight operations eff. April 22
(last update: April 21, 1200 ET)
Lufthansa will operate all long-haul flights and expand the flight plan for domestic and inner-European destinations throughout April 21. Eff. April 22, Lufthansa will resume normal flight operations.
Please note, there may however be further cancellations or re-openings of intra-european flights during the day, so kindly check the latest updates on the flight status on a regular basis on www.luftansa.com
under “Current Travel Information – Arrival and Departure” until your scheduled time of departure.
The planned flight operation depends on the current conditions. Lufthansa asks its passengers for their understanding that due to the current extraordinary circumstances short-term changes might be inevitable.

Additional information for passengers traveling from the Americas:
Confirmed reservation on Lufthansa for an intercontinental destination beyond Europe:
- passengers will be transported to their respective final destination
- baggage will be checked through to final intercontinental destination
Confirmed reservation on Lufthansa for flights operating to continental European destinations:
- passengers will be transported to their respective final destination
- baggage will be checked through to final European destination
Confirmed reservation on Lufthansa for flights not yet operating to continental European destinations:
- passengers and baggage will be transported to the Lufthansa hubs Frankfurt, Munich or Dusseldorf only
- relevant Visa requirements for Germany will apply and passengers not holding a current Visa or Schengen Visa cannot be transported to Germany
Due to the current limited flight schedule to/from Frankfurt and Munich your original scheduled flight within Germany or Europe may not be operating. In the event that your connecting flight is not available, we strongly urge you to make alternative travel arrangements to ensure that you arrive at your final destination within Germany & Europe.

Lufthansa has resumed flight operations

Last update: April 19, (17:30 ET)

Lufthansa has resumed operation of a majority of its long-haul flights.

This evening (April 19) all long-haul flights with only a few exceptions as well as some intra-european and domestic flights are operating. On Tuesday (April, 20th) all long distance flights are expected to be operated on schedule. In addition, on Tuesday morning, single domestic flights will take place. At present all other domestic and intra-european flights are cancelled until 18:00 UTC.

On Tuesday, Lufthansa plans to expand its flight plan gradually.

Confirmed passengers:
Only those passengers holding a confirmed booking on a Lufthansa operated flight departing today are asked to go to the airport. In addition, due to the current uncertain status of connecting flights, passengers will only be transported to Germany. Relevant visa requirements will therefore apply and passengers not holding a current Visa or Schengen Visa cannot be transported to Germany.

Please be aware that not all of these flights are reflected yet as "cancelled" in the online "Arrival and departure" information; this is due to technical problems. Please refer to this web page for ongoing updates.

All passengers who do not hold a confirmed booking for today’s Lufthansa operated flights areurged not to travel to the airport.

For further information, rebookings, reissuance of tickets or refunds, please contact the Lufthansa Service Center at 1-800-645-3880. (Due to the high call volume, please expect longer waiting times than usual.)

The planned flight operation depends on the current conditions.

For code share flights operated by a partner airline, please check with your operating carrier. These flights have the following flight numbers: LH1400 - LH1729, LH1910 - LH2629 or LH5050 - LH9999. If you are not sure if your flight is operated by a partner airline, please refer to your booking confirmation.

Lufthansa begins limited North American flight operation

Lufthansa begins limited North American flight operation 

East Meadow, NY, April 19, 2010 -- Lufthansa will today operate 50 long-haul flights with aircraft currently located abroad, to Germany. Those aircraft will take off from their respective locations in Asia, North and South America as well as Africa in the next hours. Of the 50 flights, 27 are planned today from North America to Frankfurt, Munich and Dusseldorf, with arrivals in Germany tomorrow. In addition, Lufthansa will operate some flights from Germany to select long haul destinations, as well as some flights between Frankfurt, Munich and select German destinations. Details can be found at www.lufthansa.com. Only those passengers holding a confirmed booking for flights departing today are asked to go to the airport.  In addition, due to the current uncertain status of connecting flights, passengers will only be transported to Germany. Relevant visa requirements will therefore apply.

Lufthansa is doing its utmost to reaccommodate passengers whose flights have been cancelled, and get them to their final destination quickly and safely. Due to the exceptional situation and limited alternative transport options, passenger care can unfortunately not be rendered to the full extent at some airports.

Customers can rebook their flights free of charge for departures before May 31, 2010 by calling Lufthansa reservations at 1-800-645-3880 in the U.S. or 1-800-563-5954 in Canada. Passengers whose flights have been cancelled can also receive a refund, free of charge. Due to the extraordinary circumstances, longer than usual wait times should be expected.

It is impossible to further predict the development of the situation in the European airspace. We are frequently monitoring the current situation and are in close contact with the respective authorities, departments and airports.

Flights are still grounded!

Disruption due to volcanic activity in Iceland
Last update: April 18th, 1645 UTC

No Lufthansa flights worldwide until Monday, April 19th, 1200 UTC

Like all other airlines, Lufthansa must comply with directives issued by ministries and air traffic control. Most European airports are closed. In Germany, all airports have shut down. All arrivals at and departures from these airports have been cancelled until further notice.

Since a reliable forecast regarding the airspace restrictions is still not possible, Lufthansa is forced to cancel all flights scheduled for Sunday 18 April, and tomorrow, April 19th 2010, until 1200 UTC.
Passengers are requested not to travel to the airports.
Should the airspace be opended sustainably, we will do everything to start flight operations as quickly as we can.

Lufthansa cancels North American flights due to European volcanic ash cloud

For Immediate Release

Lufthansa cancels North American flights due to European volcanic ash cloud

East Meadow, NY – April 15, 2010 – Lufthansa has proactively cancelled 17 North American flights to Frankfurt today as a result of deteriorating weather conditions in Germany caused by an Icelandic volcanic ash cloud.  At this time the following flights have been cancelled for today: 

• LH445   Atlanta – Frankfurt
• LH 437  Chicago – Düsseldorf
• LH 433  Chicago – Frankfurt
• LH439   Dallas/Ft. Worth – Frankfurt
• LH447   Denver – Frankfurt 
• LH443   Detroit – Frankfurt 
• LH441   Houston – Frankfurt 
• LH457   Los Angeles – Frankfurt
• LH 409  Newark – Düsseldorf
• LH 405  New York/JFK – Frankfurt
• LH 467  Miami – Düsseldorf
• LH 465 Orlando – Frankfurt   
• LH 427  Philadelphia – Frankfurt
• LH 455  San Francisco – Frankfurt
• LH 491  Seattle - Frankfurt
• LH471   Toronto - Frankfurt
• LH 493  Vancouver – Frankfurt

In addition, the following flights are currently cancelled for tomorrow, April 16:

• LH 436  Düsseldorf  – Chicago
• LH 408  Düsseldorf  – Newark
• LH 466  Düsseldorf  – Miami
• LH 432 Frankfurt – Chicago
• LH 438 Frankfurt – Dallas/Ft. Worth
• LH 440 Frankfurt – Houston
• LH 442 Frankfurt – Detroit
• LH 444 Frankfurt – Atlanta
• LH 446 Frankfurt – Denver
• LH 452 Munich – Los Angeles  
• LH 456 Frankfurt – Los Angeles
• LH400   Frankfurt – New York, JFK 
• LH 464  Frankfurt – Orlando
• LH426   Frankfurt – Philadelphia 
• LH454   Frankfurt – San Francisco 
• LH 490  Frankfurt – Seattle
• LH 470  Frankfurt – Toronto
• LH 492 Frankfurt – Vancouver

Due to the evolving weather situation, additional flight delays and cancellations are possible. Customers can rebook free of charge by calling Lufthansa reservations at 1-800-645-3880 in the U.S. or 1-800-563-5954 in Canada.  Passengers can also check www.lufthansa.com for an updated list of flight cancellations and additional information. 

Breaking News - Volcano eruption in Iceland impact air traffic!

Ash cloud from Iceland volcano disrupts flights in Northern Europe

A huge cloud of ash from an Icelandic volcano has led to the closure of all airports in the UK and Ireland. Airports in Northern Scandinavia have also been shut down and the airspace closed.

In the course of the afternoon the airports Amsterdam and Brussels were closed because of congestion due to the large number of diverted aircraft. We are therefore cancelling all cross-border flights to and from Amsterdam and Brussels.

This will result in delays in air traffic and a considerable number of flight cancellations for the regions concerned. Passengers affected by the cancellations are kindly requested to contact the airline’s Service Center.

Check flight status on Arrival & Departure

Meteorologists have put forward different scenarios as regards the projected trajectory and drift of the cloud. A precise forecast about the course it will take and its impact on Germany cannot therefore be made as yet.

So far Hamburg is the only German airport that has been closed.

Intercontinental flights have hardly been affected by the effects of the volcanic eruption, although individual flights to the United States and Canada have been delayed due to the need to fly around the ash cloud. All other long-haul flights are operating as normal.