by Lufthansa Flyer | Mar 22, 2016 | Brussels, Featured, Industry News, Security |
Just after 8am local time in Brussels, 2 explosions have been reported to have taken place at Brussels’ airport. At the risk of speculating, the nature and location of the explosions suggest that these were most likely bomb attacks. The airport has been closed to air traffic and will not open until 6am on 23 March (initial plans).
Based on uncorroborated ‘tweets’ coming from passengers in the terminal, it has been suggested that one potential suicide bomber was located near a check in area near the American Airlines desks (According to RT.com).
According to news reports, gun fire was heard in the terminal as well as shouting in Arabic moments before the bombs were detonated.
Officials indicate that there are numerous casualties and 13 deaths (According to various media).
Rail service to and from the airport has been suspended. In addition, all Metro services in Brussels have been suspended after bombs were set off inside the Maelbeek and Schuman stations. Eurostar service has also been reported to be suspended until further notice,
If your travels involve transiting Brussels, be prepared to have your plans interrupted today. Call your airlines to seek alternatives. If you fear that friends or family may have been impacted at the airport, an emergency Hotline has been established: +32 2 506 711.
Extensive Terminal damage is evident. Courtesy: www.Airlive.net
Photo courtesy of RT.com via @WardMonkey
by Lufthansa Flyer | Feb 23, 2016 | Featured, Industry News, Security, Travel |
In what has taken nearly a year, Germany is prepared to amend its Aviation Act so that policies can be added that will subject pilots to random screening for Alcohol, Illegal Drugs, and Prescription Medications. This initiative comes as a direct result of the Germanwings crash that took place on March 24, 2015 where it was determined that the pilot who caused the crash was under medical treatments that were not disclosed to Lufthansa.
In addition to the screening policy, the proposed revisions also include the creation of database that will track pilots and their medical conditions so that they can no longer be hidden from the pilot’s employer. This was an issue with the Germanwings crash since the doctors examining the pilot who crashed the aircraft did not immediately report the pilot’s medical condition or prescriptions that he was on. Creating the database would require doctors to submit updates on pilots that they treat so that airlines would be aware of their pilot’s current medical situations.
The update to the Aviation Act now goes to the German Federal Parliament where it will be debated and voted upon. The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) is supporting this initiative and it appears that the policy will be adopted throughout the EU.
Once enacted, the execution of the policy will be the responsibility of the airlines. They will be responsible for administering the random screenings as well keeping track of their pilots in the database tracking their medical history.
by Lufthansa Flyer | Nov 22, 2015 | Featured, Lufthansa, Passenger Experience, Security |
Due to the attacks in Paris and the ongoing police activity taking place in and around Belgium, France, and Luxembourg, Lufthansa has asked passengers to be prepared for additional scrutiny.
Specifically, passengers are asked to carry their passport or identity card even if travel is taking place within the ‘Schengen’ region which normally does not require any border control or identity checks. This applies to passengers traveling on any of Lufthansa Group’s airlines.
Passengers should expect spot checks for flights arriving or departing the above mentioned countries. In addition there is a higher chance of random checks for other travel within Schengen zones. It makes sense to act as though Schengen rules have been suspended and be prepared with proper documentation no matter where in Europe you may be.
According to the EU, this security enhancement will be in place through at least the middle of December with a good probability of being extended beyond that time frame.
Travelers who cannot provide proper identification are subject to being banned from entering a country or fines.
I’ll be in Europe next week and am curious to see how different things look and feel compared to my last visit a few months ago…..
