Lufthansa Flights Delayed and Cancelled Due to IT Outage
Passengers traveling through Germany's airports experienced chaos on Wednesday after Lufthansa, the country's flag carrier, experienced a group-wide IT system failure. The outage impacted Lufthansa Group airlines, which include Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian, Brussels, Edelweiss, Eurowings, and Air Dolomiti. The outage caused the cancellation of over 123 flights and delayed more than 127 more. Frankfurt airport was the most affected by the disruptions, with all incoming flights either canceled or diverted, and all planes grounded.
Lufthansa officials stated that the delays and cancellations were caused by an underground engineering project at a railway station in Frankfurt that accidentally cut several fiber optic cables. Deutsche Telekom said repairing the damaged line would take until Wednesday afternoon. Flight operations were expected to return to normal by Wednesday evening or Thursday morning after the damaged line was repaired.
Local reports claim that Lufthansa employees were forced to board planes using pen and paper as the IT system was not working, which meant they couldn't process luggage digitally. The company announced that it would rebook all canceled flights free of charge and automatically inform customers via their mobile phones. However, the technology failure could delay some of those messages from being sent, so customers were urged to check the current status of their bookings if they didn't receive a message from Lufthansa.
The timing of the IT outage is particularly bad as Lufthansa ground staff is set to Strike on February 17th in Frankfurt and Munich, among other German airports. Lufthansa said it would announce proactive cancellations related to the strike, but it is not clear whether the IT failure will impact those plans. The airline has advised passengers to check their flight status before leaving for the airport to avoid any inconvenience.
Passengers are advised to contact Lufthansa or check their website for updates on the situation.
Lufthansa Workers Plan Strike, Anticipate Further Disruption
Lufthansa, the German flag carrier, is set to experience further disruption with a planned Strike by the union that represents its ground staff. The strike is due to happen on February 17th in Frankfurt and Munich, among other German airports. The planned strike follows a group-wide IT system failure that caused flight cancellations and delays.
Lufthansa ground staff has been in a dispute with management over pay and conditions. The union representing the workers has stated that the planned Strike is in response to Lufthansa's refusal to meet their demands. The union has warned that the strike will cause significant disruption to flights and travel plans.
Lufthansa said it would announce proactive cancellations related to the Strike, and passengers are advised to check their flight status before leaving for the airport. The airline has also advised passengers to make use of the free rebooking option provided to avoid any inconvenience.
Passengers who have booked flights with Lufthansa on February 17th and are affected by the Strike can either rebook their flights free of charge or receive a full refund. Lufthansa has stated that passengers who have booked flights with other airlines but are part of the Lufthansa Group will also be affected by the strike and can rebook or receive a refund.
The timing of the planned Strike is likely to cause further disruption for passengers traveling through Germany's airports. Passengers are advised to keep abreast of the situation and contact Lufthansa or check their website for updates on the situation.
Cyclone Gabrielle Disrupts Travel in New Zealand as State of Emergency is Declared
A renewed travel alert for New Zealand has been issued following the declaration of a state of emergency caused by Cyclone Gabrielle. The North Island suffered from flooding, leaving an estimated 250,000 people without power, and travel has been disrupted. Auckland airport has warned that airline schedules may be disrupted for several days after high winds forced the suspension of airline ground operations.
Passengers are urged to check the status of their flights before heading to the airport after "several hundred" people were forced to stay overnight in the international terminal. The Foreign Office has updated its Travel Advisory, stating that strong winds and flooding are impacting the North Island, with power cut off to several communities. The government has declared a national state of emergency, covering Northland, Auckland, Tairāwhiti, Bay of Plenty, Waikato, Hawkes Bay, and Tararua.
A state of emergency has been declared in Auckland due to widespread flooding following unexpectedly heavy rain. Passengers are advised to monitor local media and follow the advice of local authorities. Auckland airport has experienced disruption leading to flight delays and cancellations, and passengers should check with their airlines for the latest flight information.
Airport chief customer officer Scott Tasker said that while many airlines restarted flights after a lull in flying on Monday, airline ground handlers suspended airfield operations late in the day due to health and safety concerns until the wind eased. Tasker also expressed understanding of the inconvenience caused by weather-related disruption but emphasized that the safety of those working on the airfield must come first.
Travelers are advised to remain vigilant and check for updates before traveling to New Zealand.