More nations ban Boeing 737 MAX jets after Ethiopia crash

Yahoo – AFP, March 12, 2019

Boeing 737 Max planes are being suspended from airspace in countries including
Britain, France, Germany, Ireland and The Netherlands (AFP Photo/BEN STANSALL)

Paris (AFP) - The EU closed its airspace to Boeing 737 MAX planes on Tuesday, joining similar action by nations across the globe following a second deadly accident in just five months.

Fleets of the best-selling workhorse plane were also grounded by airlines as safety concerns swirled, sending Boeing shares tumbling another seven percent in Tuesday trading and wiping billions more off its market value.

On Sunday, a new Ethiopian Airlines 737 MAX 8 went down minutes into a flight from Addis Ababa to Nairobi, killing all 157 people on board.

In October, a Lion Air jet of the same model crashed in Indonesia, killing 189 people shortly after takeoff from Jakarta.

The widening airspace closures puts pressure on Boeing, the world's biggest planemaker, to prove the MAX planes are safe.

The full extent of the impact on international travel routes was unclear, although there are some 350 MAX 8 planes currently in service around the world with more than 5,000 on order.

Factfile on the Boeing 737 MAX 8 (AFP Photo)

The EU aviation safety agency said it was closing European airspace to all MAX aircraft currently operating.

It noted that the "exact causes" of the Lion Air crash were still being investigated.

"Since that action, another fatal accident occurred," EASA said, referring to Sunday's Ethiopian Airlines disaster.

"At this early stage of the investigation, it cannot be excluded that similar causes may have contributed to both events," the agency said.

'Precautionary measure'

India late Tuesday joined the list of countries to close its airspace to the jet, a day after saying it had imposed additional interim safety requirements for ground engineers and crew for the aircraft.

The Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8 went down minutes into a flight 

to Nairobi, killing all 157 people on board (AFP Photo/Michael TEWELDE)

Elsewhere, Turkish Airlines, one of the largest carriers in the world, said it was suspending its 12 MAX aircraft from Wednesday, until "uncertainty" was clarified.

Low-cost airline Norwegian Air Shuttle, South Korea's Eastar Jet and South Africa's Comair also said they would halt flights.

On Twitter, US President Donald Trump weighed in on the situation, writing: "Airplanes are becoming far too complex to fly."

"Pilot are no longer needed, but rather computer scientists from MIT," he wrote, referring to the prestigious university in Massachusetts.

US carriers have so far appeared to maintain confidence in Boeing, which has said it is certain the planes are safe to fly.

The US federal aviation authority, the FAA, has not grounded the MAX but ordered the manufacturer to make design changes.

US President Donald Trump tweeted that modern planes are too complicated

for pilots (AFP Photo/Jim WATSON)

The move was not enough to reassure the UK Civil Aviation Authority, which said it was banning the planes from UK airspace "as a precautionary measure".

Global air travel hub Singapore, as well as Australia, Malaysia and Oman were among the other countries to ban all MAX planes from their airspace.

China, a hugely important market for Boeing, had already ordered domestic airlines to suspend operations of the plane on Monday, as did Indonesia.

Argentina's flag carrier also grounded five MAX 8 aircraft on Tuesday, as did airlines in countries including Brazil and Mexico.

'Significant industry impact'

Boeing has described the MAX series as its fastest-selling family of planes, with more than 5,000 orders placed to date from about 100 customers.

Debris of the Boeing 737 MAX 8 plane strewn over a crash site outside Addis 

Ababa (AFP Photo/Michael TEWELDE)

But not since the 1970s -- when the McDonnell Douglas DC-10 suffered successive fatal incidents -- has a new model been involved in two deadly accidents in such a short period.

"I think the impact for the industry is significant," said Gerry Soejatman, a Jakarta-based aviation analyst.

"We have a new type of aircraft -- that type of aircraft has only been in service for two years -- and... we have two accidents with seemingly similar circumstances."

The plane involved in Sunday's crash was less than four months old, with Ethiopian Airlines saying it was delivered on November 15.

It went down near the village of Tulu Fara, some 40 miles (60 kilometres) east of Addis Ababa.

Ethiopian Airlines said the pilot was given clearance to turn around after indicating problems shortly before the plane disappeared from radar.

The doomed Boeing 737 MAX airliner was carrying passengers and crew from 

35 countries (AFP Photo)

Its chief executive Tewolde GebreMariam said the plane had flown in from Johannesburg on Sunday, spent three hours in Addis and was "dispatched with no remark", meaning no problems were flagged.

Investigators have recovered the black box flight recorders, which could potentially provide information about what happened, depending on their condition.

The crash cast a pall over a gathering of the UN Environment Programme in Nairobi -- at least 22 staff from several UN agencies were on board the doomed flight.

Kenya had the highest death toll among the nationalities on the flight with 32, according to Ethiopian Airlines.

There were also passengers from Canada, Ethiopia, Italy, the United States, Britain and France.

#UPDATE The ban on the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft became worldwide after US President Donald Trump joined Canada and other countries in grounding the aircraft amid intense pressure about the safety concerns https://t.co/okBppoGk6W

— AFP news agency (@AFP) 13 maart 2019

Black box data recovered from an Ethiopian Airlines plane that crashed last week shows "clear similarities" with a recent crash in Indonesia of the same type of aircraft, Ethiopia's transport minister said https://t.co/k38qc9WcB6 by @ChrisJStein pic.twitter.com/1Q7SuaGpA6

— AFP news agency (@AFP) 17 maart 2019

Embassies promote Dutch cycling culture abroad

DutchNews, November 18, 2016

Photo: Meredith Glaser via
Amsterdamcyclechic.com

Although the Netherlands is lagging behind on wind and solar energy it has one trump card when it comes to energy saving: the bike. The Netherlands is touting one of its most popular national symbols to countries across the planet, the Volkskrant writes. 

In order to promote bike use and boost Dutch bike manufacturers, Dutch embassies around the world have been instructed to get peddling and involve themselves in bike-related promotional schemes. 

‘There are economic opportunities, particularly for bike makers,’ Chris Kuijpers, directer general of environmental issues at the economic affairs ministry, told the paper. 

From China to Mexico embassies are persuading high-ranking officials to climb on and go for bike rides in an effort to highlight Dutch expertise. 

In Marrakesh, host of this week’s climate summit COP22, Dutch embassy personnel have been busy too, supporting a bike repair project for the locals initiated by the Pikala Bikes foundation. The foundation transports abandoned bikes from bike depots in Amsterdam and The Hague to Marrakesh where Moroccan youngsters are taught how to repair them. 

Many countries are keen to make room for bikes in their cities and are willing to learn from Dutch experience, says Matthijs van Bonzel, ambassador to Spain. 

Spain already boasts a number of municipal bike hire schemes and Seville is one of the most bike-friendly cities in the country. Madrid, too, is willing to give more space to cyclists, Van Bonzel says. He has even gone on a bike ride with mayor Manuela Carmena, he told the paper.

Aviation industry agrees deal to curb carbon emissions

The international airline industry has reached deal on limiting carbon emissions, billed as the first such worldwide deal for a single sector. Critics say aspects of the plan are unfair - or just too little, too late.

Deutsche Welle, 7 Oct 2016

The agreement to set limits was adopted by the overwhelmingly by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) at a meeting in Montreal on Thursday.

The deal was approved by a meeting of the ICAO's 191 member states.

Airlines that exceed limits, as most are expected to do, will have to buy credits from other industries to offset their emissions.

To avoid them having to do so, the ICAO - a UN agency - is pushing for great use of fuel-efficient engines that run on biofuels, lighter aircraft materials and route optimization.

"It's a document arising from compromises and consensus," said Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu, president of ICAO's governing council.

Malaysia's aviation chief Azharuddin Abdul Rahman, who chaired the session said the deal - to cap carbon-dioxide emissions at 2020 levels by 2035 - was "historic."

The first phase of the airline agreement - which is voluntary - covers 2021 to 2027, while participation will become mandatory from 2028 through to 2035.

Responsibility for putting the agreement into effect will fall onto individual nations.

India and Russia sit out voluntary phase

More than 60 states - representing some 8 percent of global air traffic - will participate in the Carbon Offset and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation.

Russia and India have already said they will not join the voluntary phase, and said the deal placed an unfair burden on emerging countries. However, China - which also expressed reservations - said it would take part.

The system is the first global emissions pact to cover a single, specific industry. However, there has been criticism that the arrangement will fail to sufficiently reduce emissions from commercial flights.

The fact that the initial phase is a voluntary one, and that exceptions are in place to protect smaller aviation markets, has led environmentalists to suggest that the scheme will not achieve its aims.

"This agreement is a timid step in the right direction when we need to be sprinting," said Greenpeace UK Chief Scientist Doug Parr.

rc/bw (AP, AFP, dpa, Reuters)

Uber drops Uberpop taxi service in the Netherlands

DutchNews, November 18, 2015

Taxi app firm Uber is stopping its controversial Uberpop service in the Netherlands, the company said on Wednesday. 

Uberpop allows unlicenced drivers to use their own cars as taxis, but has been branded as illegal by the Dutch courts. 

The company is withdrawing the service because Uberpop is a ‘hindrance to the constructive dialogue about modernising the existing taxi rules’, Uber Nederland director Niek van Leeuwen said in a blog post. 

The services Uberblack, Uberlux and UberX, which involve licenced drivers, are not affected. 

Uber said earlier this year it would support Uberpop drivers in getting taxi licences, but Van Leeuwen said in his post that ‘we expect many of them will not be able to do this because of the high cost of complying with all the legal obligations’. 

Earlier this year, transport ministry inspectors raised the fine payable by Uber for breaking taxi sector rules to a maximum of €1m. Uberpop drivers themselves can be fined up to €4,200 and are given a criminal record.

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World nations reach landmark deal on using satellites to track flights

Yahoo – AFP, 12 Nov 2015

Crewman aboard an RAAF AP-3C Orion aircraft looks at his radar screens

 while searching for the missing Malaysia Airways Flight MH370 over the Indian 

Ocean on March 24, 2014 (AFP Photo/Richard Wainwright)

Geneva (AFP) - World nations struck a landmark deal Wednesday on using satellites to track flights, which could prove key to preventing a repeat of the mysterious disappearance of flight MH370 in March 2014.

Countries reached an accord at a conference hosted by the UN's International Telecommunication Union (ITU) that aimed to improve on the current civilian flight-tracking system which relies on ground-based radars.

"In reaching this agreement... ITU has responded in record time to the expectations of the global community on the major issue concerning global flight tracking," the organisation's secretary general, Houlin Zhao, said in a statement.

The ITU statement made clear the deal was driven by the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 which was lost en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 people onboard.

That tragedy "spurred worldwide discussions on global flight tracking and the need for coordinated action," the organisation said.

Representatives of more than 160 nations attended the talks, known as the World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC).

It was tasked with determining the technical requirements for a tracking system capable of providing complete surveillance of global airspace.

The ITU said a frequency band previously used to transmit signals from aircraft to terrestrial stations would be enabled to send transmissions from aircraft to satellites.

This change will enable "real-time tracking of aircraft anywhere in the world,” said Francois Rancy, director of the ITU Radiocommunication Bureau.

The new system is expected to be fully implemented in 2017, but Rancy noted that most planes already have the necessary equipment, so compliance will not pose major logistical hurdles.

US Ambassador Decker Anstrom praised the deal, saying it would "enable better tracking and location of aircraft that otherwise could disappear from terrestrial tracking systems.”

A photo taken on October 7, 2015 shows the headquarters of the International

 Telecommunication Union (ITU), the UN specialized agency for information and

communication technologies in Geneva (AFP Photo/Fabrice Coffrini)

The UN's International Civil Aviation Organization has previously voiced support for a proposal that would make it obligatory for airlines to track their aircraft using a system that gives its location at 15-minute intervals.

The ground-based radars currently in use can track a plane but coverage is sketchy and fades when aircraft are out at sea or they are flying below a certain altitude, shortcomings that intensified the need to develop a better system.

Finding consensus on other agenda items at the WRC could prove tougher however, including discussions on using existing satellites to provide coordinates to civilian unmaned aircraft systems, or drones.

Countries are also discussing whether to shift the way radio spectrum is used by different radio transmission technologies and applications.

The United States among others wants to see a reallocation of a significant amount of spectrum for mobile technologies and emerging 5G mobile networks.

But this is a touchy subject, as most of the high-quality spectrum is today used by broadcasters, and striking a deal by the end of the conference on November 27 is not guaranteed.

World nations reach landmark deal on using satellites to track flights https://t.co/RE9NYeBDxH pic.twitter.com/srF4mQt5rC

— Agence France-Presse (@AFP) November 11, 2015

VW: 1.8 million commercial vehicles affected by emissions cheat

VW's commercial vehicles unit has said 1.8 million commercial vehicles are affected by the software cheat. Germany's economy minister said a negative impact on Europe's largest economy can be avoided if VW acts fast.

Deutsche Welle, 29 Sep 2015

Guenther Scherelis, spokesperson for Volkswagen's (VW) commercial vehicles unit, on Tuesday confirmed a report by the German daily newspaper "Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung" (HAZ) that around 1.8 million of its vehicles are affected by emissions-rigging software.

Light commercial vehicles, including vans and pickups, were also included in the figure.

The announcement comes as VW's Spanish subsidiary SEAT said at least 700,000 of its vehicles contained the EA 189 diesel engine, which is said to be affected by the engine software.

SEAT and Volkswagen-Audi Spain on Tuesday suspended sales of all commercial vehicles fitted with the compromised engine, affecting around 3,320 vehicles in its stock.

At least 11 million diesel vehicles are said to contain the software, which activates emissions controls when it detects that it is being tested, subsequently shutting off controls when the car is back on the road.

Germany's Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) set an October 7 deadline for VW to put forth a technical action plan to ensure that the company's vehicles comply with national emissions standards.

On Tuesday, Europe's largest automaker said it "will inform customers and arrange the necessary appointments" in the coming weeks to refit the vehicles and bring them in line with emissions standards.

"We will present our technical solutions to the authorities in October," said the company's newly-appointed CEO, Matthias Mueller .

Playing down negative economic side-effects, German Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel told reporters on Tuesday that the scandal would not impact Germany's economy if VW acted swiftly and effectively.

"It's up to the politicians to try to ensure that the jobs of the company's 600,000 global employees…are not at risk," Gabriel said. 

The auto industry is the largest sector of the German economy, employing nearly 800,000 people between VW, Daimler and BMW.

ls/kms (Reuters, AFP, AP, dpa)

Related Article:

VW pollution cheating scandal spreads to Audi, Skoda

Toyota recalls 625,000 Prius cars, other hybrids globally

Yahoo – AFP, 15 July 2015

The Prius was one of the first hybrid cars to go mainstream and was quickly

adopted as a symbol of green technology (AFP Photo/Yoshikazu Tsuno)

Tokyo (AFP) - Toyota on Wednesday recalled 625,000 hybrid vehicles globally, mostly the Prius model favoured by the eco-conscious including Hollywood celebrities, over a defect that can bring the car to an unexpected stop.

The Japanese automaker said the problem was linked to software that controls a power converter, similar to an issue last year that led to the recall of 1.9 million Prius cars -- Toyota's biggest ever for its signature petrol-electric vehicle.

Toyota, the world's biggest car maker, added that no accidents or injuries had been reported.

"In limited instances, the hybrid system might shut down while the vehicle is being driven, resulting in the loss of power, bringing the vehicle to stop," it said.

The latest call back affected the Prius V, which is also sold as the Prius Alpha and Prius+, as well as some Auris hybrid vehicles.

More than half the recalled vehicles were sold in Japan with most of the others in North America and Europe between May 2010 and November 2014.

The Prius was one of the first hybrid cars to go mainstream and was quickly adopted as a symbol of green technology, with the likes of actors Leonardo DiCaprio and Cameron Diaz snapped behind the wheel.

Toyota has sold more than seven million hybrid cars globally since the debut of its Prius hybrid in 1997 in the first mass production of green cars.

It has roughly 30 hybrid models sold in more than 90 countries worldwide.

Toyota, Nissan recall 6.5 mn cars over exploding airbag fears

Yahoo – AFP, 13 May 2015

An employee sews an airbag at Takata's crash-testing facility in Auburn

Hills, Michigan, in 2010 (AFP Photo/Bill Pugliano)

Japanese auto giants Toyota and Nissan on Wednesday said they were recalling 6.5 million vehicles globally in the latest chapter of an exploding airbag crisis linked to several deaths.

The world's biggest automaker said its recall of five million vehicles affected 35 models globally produced between 2003 and 2007, while Nissan said it was calling back 1.56 million vehicles also due to faulty airbags made by embattled supplier Takata.

Nissan Motors Chairman and 

CEO Carlos Ghosn speaks 

during the company's financial 

results press conference in 

Yokohama, on May 13,

 2015 (AFP Photo/Toshifumi

Kitamura)

"This will affect many of our markets, including Japan, Europe and North America," a Nissan spokesman told AFP, adding that the explosion risk was among a range of problems seen in the defective airbags.

"There might be many factors. (But) we have seen risks that the metal casing for inflators can malfunction."

Nissan's recall affects a range of models produced between 2004 and 2008.

Both firms said there were no reports of deaths or injuries linked to their latest recall.

The announcement comes after some 20 million vehicles produced by automakers also including General Motors and Honda were recalled because of the risk that their Takata-made airbags could improperly inflate and rupture, potentially firing deadly shrapnel at the occupants.

At least five deaths have been linked to the defect, with one in the United States initially investigated as a murder due to her grisly injuries.

Despite the ongoing problem, Nissan's results appeared to be relatively unaffected.

Just after the recall announcement, it said fiscal-year net profit soared a better-than-expected 17.6 percent to 457.6 billion yen ($4.2 billion), with the firm crediting a weak yen and new model rollouts.

Nissan projected an even stronger 485.0 billion yen profit this business year, including ongoing recall costs.

Last week, Toyota said its annual net profit rose to a record $18.1 billion. However, Honda's annual profit turned down 8.9 percent to $4.4 billion -- it is Takata's biggest air bag customer and accounts for a bulk of the recalls.

Air Force Lt. Stephanie Erdman, whose eye was injured by airbag shrapnel 

from her 2002 Honda Civic, is surrounded by pictures showing the accident as she

 testifies on Capitol Hill, in Washington, DC, on November 20, 2014 (AFP

Photo/Jim Watson)

Ongoing investigations

Toyota said the latest recall affects 1.35 million vehicles sold in Japan, 637,000 in the United States and 1.26 million in Europe.

"We have been conducting various ongoing investigations regarding Takata-produced airbag inflators," the firm said in an email.

"Among the parts collected from the Japanese market, certain types of airbag inflators were found to have a potential for moisture intrusion over time. As a result, they could be susceptible to abnormal deployment in a crash."

Takata has said the defect surfaces mainly in humid, hotter regions and resisted US authorities' call for a national recall of cars with its airbags.

The firm had an open disagreement with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which accused Takata of not helping with its investigation into the defects.

Tokyo-based Takata, one of the world's biggest air-bag companies, is a key supplier to major automakers with dozens of plants and offices in 20 countries, including the United States, China and Mexico.

Japanese auto parts maker Takata's child car seats at a showroom in

Tokyo on May 8, 2015 (AFP Photo/Yoshikazu Tsuno)

Facing lawsuits and regulatory probes, Takata recently acknowledged that the crisis has taken a toll on its earnings, but added that it expects to eke out a small profit this year.

Despite the global crisis, Takata's top executives have largely stayed out of the public eye and remain tightlipped about the situation.

The announcements were made shortly before Tokyo markets closed. Toyota shares fell 1.06 percent to 8,196.0 yen while Nissan lost 0.95 percent to close at 1,246.5 yen.

Dubai now home to world's busiest international airport

Dubai International handled a record number of passengers last year, putting it ahead of London's Heathrow for the first time as the planet's busiest international airport. Heathrow looks unlikely to win back the crown.

Deutsche Welle, 27 Jan 2015

FlyDubai plane landing at Dubai International

Dubai's airport operators said Tuesday that 70.5 million passengers streamed through the city's international airport in 2014, marking a 6-percent increase on last year.

The rapid growth put Dubai International squarely ahead of London Heathrow for the first time as the world's busiest international transport hub.

Dubai International pulled off the big gains despite having to redirect many flights to the Gulf city's second airport, Al Maktoum while it overhauled the hub's two side-by-side runways over the summer.

Rise of domestic carriers

Dubai Airports CEO Paul Griffiths predicted Dubai International would top its own record and handle 79 million passengers this year, saying it offered "more flights connecting more people to more destinations."

Dubai airport has been expanding fast thanks in part to the growth of hometown airline Emirates, and smaller budget carrier FlyDubai.

Both airlines and the city's airports are owned by the emirate's government, which has championed aviation as a central driver of the local economy.

While Dubai is now home to the busiest international aviation hub, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta, in the US, remains the world's busiest passenger airport overall.

hg/bk (Reuters, AFP, AP)

South Korea charges Uber CEO Kalanick for operating illegal taxi service

Prosecutors in Seoul have brought charges against the US founder and CEO of the smartphone taxi service Uber, Travis Kalanick. Authorities say Kalanick was indicted for violating passenger transport laws.

Deutsche Welle, 24 Dec 2014

Lawyers representing the South Korean government indicted Travis Kalanick, founder and CEO of smartphone taxi service company Uber, on Tuesday. Kalanick was found to have operated an illegal business, according to local media reports.

The Uber chief was indicted in absentia by the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, the Yonhap news agency reported. Another local taxi service, who's CEO went by the name of Lee, was also charged under a law regulating passenger transport, but was not immediately arrested.

It wasn't clear whether Kalanick would come to Seoul for trial.

Seoul's local city government filed complaints saying Uber's operations raised concerns about passenger safety and threatened the livelihood of licensed taxi drivers. Authorities launched a crackdown on drivers and rental cars that operated with Uber.

A reward of up to one million won (around $900) was offered for information on Uber's activities.

South Korean drivers have been angry that Uber has taken over a chunk of their business. Uber, a mobile phone app which connects taxi drivers to passengers, sparked angry protests by taxi drivers in France and Germany earlier this year who felt threatened by the app's growing popularity.

The company was also banned in the Indian capital New Delhi earlier this month after one of it's drivers allegedly raped a woman passenger.

mg/jm (AFP,dpa)

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FAA bars US airlines from Israel for 24 hours amid Gaza crisis

Yahoo – AFP, July 23, 2014

FAA bars US airlines from Israel for
24 hours amid Gaza crisis (AFP)

Washington (AFP) - The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) banned US airlines Tuesday from flying to and from Israel for at least 24 hours amid safety concerns sparked by the ongoing crisis in Gaza.

The US government agency said its prohibition applied only to US air carriers, and that "updated instructions" would be issued "as soon as conditions permit."

Delta, US Airways and United Airlines had earlier halted flights to and from Tel Aviv's main Ben Gurion International Airport, amid reports of a rocket strike nearby.

"Due to the potentially hazardous situation created by the armed conflict in Israel and Gaza, all flight operations to/from Ben Gurion International Airport by US operators are prohibited until further advised," said the FAA's Notice to Airmen, or NOTAM, issued shortly after 1600 GMT.

"This NOTAM will be updated within 24 hours," it added.

In a press statement, the FAA said it immediately notified US carriers when it learned of the rocket strike, informing them that a NOTAM was in the works.

Prior to the NOTAM being issued, however, Delta announced it had diverted a Tel Aviv-bound flight to Paris after "reports of a rocket or associated debris" near the airport.

"Delta, in coordination with the US Federal Aviation Administration, is doing so to ensure the safety and security of our customers and employees," it said in a statement.

US Airways meanwhile told AFP in a Twitter exchange it had canceled its flights Tuesday between Philadelphia and Tel Aviv "in response to security concerns" at Ben Gurion airport.

And United said: "We're suspending operations to/from Tel Aviv until further notice. We'll continue to evaluate the situation."

It was more discreet on its website, where it said its two flights Tuesday to Tel Aviv from Newark airport outside New York had been "canceled due to aircraft availability."

Fears of a rocket hitting a passenger airliner have surged worldwide after last week's downing of a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 over eastern Ukraine with nearly 300 on board.

That incident underscored the vulnerability of commercial aircraft to surface-to-air missiles, even at cruising altitudes in excess of 30,000 feet.

Delta said its diverted flight Tuesday was a Boeing 747 with 273 passengers as well as 17 crew on board, and that it was "working to reaccommodate these customers."

Planes of German airline Lufthansa wait on the airfield at Duesseldorf

 International airport, March 13, 2014, in Germany (AFP Photo/

Patrik Stollarz)

Related Articles:

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