Lufthansa tells jets to carry extra fuel into Frankfurt as supplies tighten

Lufthansa Jets Carry Extra Fuel to Frankfurt as Pipeline Maintenance Tightens Supply

Precautionary Measures and Impact on Frankfurt Airport Operations

BERLIN, Oct 15 (Reuters) - Lufthansa has increased fuelling before flights to Frankfurt as a precautionary step because fuel supplies tighten at Germany's largest air hub due to reduced capacity at a pipeline, the airline said on Thursday. Fraport, the airport operator, said routine maintenance was being carried out on a pipeline that supplies the airport with jet fuel but that this had been taken into account in its operations.

Fraport's Response to Pipeline Maintenance

• Fraport said it did not expect a supply bottleneck from the pipeline maintenance, partly due to alternative supply routes and ample fuel storage capacity.

Operational Capability and Contingency Plans

• "The airport's operational capability is therefore not affected," it said.

Lufthansa's Adjusted Fuel Strategy

• Lufthansa said flight cancellations were not currently expected.

Tankering Instructions for Pilots

• Bild first reported the news, citing internal instructions it said were sent to Lufthansa pilots on selected routes to practise "tankering", taking more fuel than needed so jets require less or no refuelling in Frankfurt.

Tankering Limits and Affected Flights

• Extra fuel is capped at 8 tons on Airbus A320-family aircraft so they can still be towed on the ground, and the rules mainly affect short-haul flights but increasingly some long-haul services, according to Bild.

Reporting and Editorial Credits

(Reporting by Kirsti Knolle and Ludwig Burger Writing by Linda Pasquini Editing by Ludwig Burger)