IT System Halted Due to Telecom Cable Damage
Boarding Procedures Conducted with Pen and Paper... "Expected to Be Restored by Afternoon"
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Junran] Lufthansa's IT system in Germany has experienced a failure, causing numerous flight cancellations and delays.
According to AFP and others on the 15th (local time), Lufthansa stated on Twitter, "Since this morning, Lufthansa Group airlines have been affected by an IT system outage, resulting in flight delays and cancellations."
According to the Frankfurt Airport website, Lufthansa's system malfunction began around 7 a.m. GMT on the same day. As a result, about 120 flights scheduled at this airport were canceled.
Regarding this situation, Lufthansa explained, citing Germany's largest telecommunications company Deutsche Telekom, that during construction work in Frankfurt, some of Deutsche Telekom's fiber optic cables were damaged, causing a failure in its IT system. Lufthansa expects to restore the cables by the afternoon.
Frankfurt Airport announced that it decided to cancel or divert all incoming flights to the airport. Air traffic controllers explained that Lufthansa aircraft are unable to take off from Frankfurt Airport, resulting in a shortage of space for other aircraft to land.
AFP reported the chaotic scene at Frankfurt Airport on the day. The airport bulletin board was filled with messages announcing flight cancellations, and thousands of travelers were stranded at the airport waiting.
On social media, real-time updates showed Lufthansa staff using pens and paper to process passenger boarding, and baggage handling was completely halted at the site.
Meanwhile, Lufthansa, the largest airline in Europe, has subsidiaries including the low-cost carrier Eurowings, Swiss International Air Lines, Austrian Airlines, and Brussels Airlines.
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