Germany: News

Mauerfall: The Berlin Wall Fell 30 Years Ago

On November 9, 1989, a somewhat comical slipup toppled the Berlin Wall when Günter Schabowski, the newly minted spokesman of the East German Politbüro, as a footnote to a press conference, added a statement concerning plans to lift travel restrictions between East and West.  When an Italian reporter asked when the change would come into effect, Schabowski assumed it would be the same day and replied, “Das tritt nach meiner Kenntnis …

Lufthansa Cancels 1,300 Flights in Advance of Union Strike

Lufthansa Cancels 1,300 Flights in Advance of Union Strike

Lufthansa said Wednesday it was cancelling approximately 1,300 flights because of a planned strike by flight attendants on Thursday and Friday.
The job action will impact over 180,000 passengers, the German flag carrier said.
The Unabhängige Flugbegleiter Organisation or UFO, the union that represents the majority of the airline’s flight attendants, called the walkout amidst a bitter dispute over pay and the union’s legal status.
The airline plans to operate 2,300 of its …

Europe to Set Clocks Back for Winter Time This Weekend

Most European nations will adjust their clocks back one hour early Sunday as the cutover from Summer Time to Winter Time takes place. The move akin to the switch from Daylight Saving Time to Standard Time in the United States, although it is on a different schedule.
The United States will mark the end of Daylight Saving Time on November 3, 2019.
The change from Summer Time to Winter Time is observed in …

Thomas Cook Shuts Down, Stranding Thousands of Travelers

Thomas Cook Shuts Down, Stranding Thousands of Travelers

British tour operator Thomas Cook Group ceased all operations Sunday night, leaving thousands of travelers, mostly British subjects, stranded.
The 178-year-old travel company said in a statement that it “concluded that it had no choice but to take steps to enter into compulsory liquidation with immediate effect.”
“An application was made to the High Court for a compulsory liquidation of the Company before opening of business today and an order has been …

Frankfurt Airport Reports Increase in Passenger Traffic for August

Frankfurt Airport Reports Increase in Passenger Traffic for August

Fraport AG, the operator of Frankfurt Airport, announced traffic figures for the airport for August 2019.
Passenger traffic was approximately 6.9 million passengers for the month, a 1.7% increase from August 2018.
Frankfurt Airport also reported a 5.2% year-over-year decrease in cargo throughput for August, with 173,122 metric tons of cargo passing through the facility.
In addition, Fraport said the number of aircraft movements for the month was unchanged year-over-year to 36,849 takeoffs …

Lufthansa to Take Over Air Canada’s Seasonal Service from Ottawa to Frankfurt

Lufthansa to Take Over Air Canada’s Seasonal Service from Ottawa to Frankfurt

Star Alliance partners Lufthansa and Air Canada announced that the German flag carrier would begin to operate summer seasonal service linking Ottawa and Frankfurt and that Air Canada would discontinue its own service after this year.
The last Air Canada flight on the route will be operated on October 24, 2019. Lufthansa will take over the route on May 16, 2020 and operate it through October 24, 2020.
The Ottawa-Frankfurt service will …

British Airways, Lufthansa Suspend Cairo Flights, Citing Security Risks

British Airways, Lufthansa Suspend Cairo Flights, Citing Security Risks

British Airways and Lufthansa separately on Saturday the cancellation of all flights to Cairo, a day after the British government warned of a “heightened risk of terrorism against aviation.”
BA said it was suspending flights for seven days, while Lufthansa said it would resume flights on Sunday.
“We constantly review our security arrangements at all our airports around the world,” British Airways said in a statement, “and have suspended flights to Cairo …