Computer Problems Cause Lufthansa Delays

Although the German flag carrier's long-haul flights were not affected, further European flights suffered 90 minute delays, with the computer blip at the check-in counter obliging staff to manually check in travellers.

An unprecedented blip

The Unisys computer system crashed in the early hours of Thursday morning.

"Experts are working hard to stabilize the system," said a Lufthansa spokesperson in Frankfurt, stressing that the problem would be dealt with by midday and Lufthansa would be running to schedule by the afternoon. He also underlined that security was by no means affected.

According to Lufthansa, the airline has never been struck by a computer problem on this scale, but staff are trained to deal with check-ins even when computers are out of action.

Domestic flights affected included the Munich-Berlin and Frankfurt-Munich stretches, said Lufthansa spokeswoman Sandra Kraft, while Paris-Berlin was also cancelled.

IT problems weren't the only obstacles to smooth operations in Germany's airports Thursday: In Frankfurt, Germany's largest airport, bad weather and fog was also causing delays, with passengers advised to seek alternative forms of travel.