Lufthansa has ended its precautionary inbound tankering procedure for flights arriving at Frankfurt Airport, with normal refuelling operations restored at its main hub. The airline discontinued the measure during the week of 19 October after the fuel-supply situation normalised, removing the need for aircraft to carry extra fuel specifically to reduce or avoid refuelling in Frankfurt.
Lufthansa introduced the procedure in mid-October, instructing cockpit crews to take on additional fuel before flights to Frankfurt where operationally possible. The measure was designed to conserve supplies at the airport and protect schedule reliability without requiring cancellations.
The temporary policy followed unusually low water levels on the Rhine, which restricted access for tanker ships supplying aviation fuel, alongside maintenance affecting a fuel pipeline serving Frankfurt. Fraport maintained that the airport’s operational capability was not impaired during the period.
The airline’s confirmation indicates that aircraft can now resume standard fuel planning for Frankfurt arrivals. No figures were provided for the amount of additional fuel carried, the number of affected flights or the duration of the pipeline work.