Passengers crowded on Lufthansa flights: Keeping a distance looks different

Pictures of crowded passengers on a Lufthansa domestic flight are circulating. This actually does not correspond to the corona virus regulations that the federal and state governments have agreed on. Keeping a distance looks different.

• Fully occupied domestic flight at Lufthansa - no protection, no minimum distance despite the corona crisis
• There is no legal regulation for the interior of aircraft
• "Not flying" due to the corona virus pandemic also causes problems for Lufthansa passengers

Frankfurt - Germany is in a state of emergency. Since the federal and state governments agreed on Sunday (March 22nd, 2020) to a far-reaching ban on contact to contain the corona virus, the streets have been swept empty in many places.

The #BZgA explains: Why it is so important to keep your distance to slow the spread of the coronavirus. https://t.co/UPqQCBApO7#zusammen gegencorona #wirbleibenzuhause pic.twitter.com/YvPpYTeoSC

Restaurants, cafes and most shops remain closed. Everyone is careful to keep as much distance as possible from their fellow human beings. But that is not possible everywhere.

Despite the corona virus: pictures of a Lufthansa flight show crowded passengers

The "ZDF heute journal" showed pictures of a domestic flight of Lufthansa on Monday evening (March 23, 2020). The aircraft is occupied to the very last seat - despite the corona virus and the associated guidelines for containment.

The “ZDF heute journal” shows pictures of a fully booked Lufthansa domestic flight - despite the corona crisis. (Screenshot "ZDF Today Journal")

© ZDF today journal

In addition, the passengers are brought to the terminal in crowded buses after landing. If you have not already been infected with the corona virus in your seat next to you on the plane, you have another chance to stand together with other Lufthansa passengers. Without a minimum distance , without protection. According to the new regulations on the ban on contact *, it should no longer look like this.

Corona virus: It is difficult to keep a distance on a Lufthansa plane or bus

Lufthansa is also not the only airline with which the flights are still partially fully occupied. And there is a similar problem in public transport. When it was still allowed for up to five people to come together in public space - since Monday (23.03.2020) there are only a maximum of two people - the Prime Minister of Hesse Volker Bouffier had declared that if a sixth person were to get on a bus now they don't get out again. But to contain the coronavirus : keep a distance of at least 1.5 meters. However, this is not feasible in a fully occupied plane - or bus.

Coronavirus pandemic at Lufthansa: Many flights remain empty or on the ground

Lufthansa reacted to the pictures and justified the transports on Instagram that they had a filter system for air purification in their machines that was similar to that of an operating room. But even fresh air does not protect passengers from becoming infected with the corona virus.

Check out this post on Instagram

Flying in times of corona? You probably have many questions right now. Here are a few answers. #Lufthansa

A post shared by Lufthansa (@lufthansa) on Mar 6, 2020 at 10:00 PST

On the web, however, some pictures seem to raise hope that it doesn't always look like this. For example, a user published a photo of a Lufthansa aircraft on which no other passengers are seated.

Check out this post on Instagram

Now I know how it feels to fly in your own jet ✈️ #coronaflight

A post shared by Georg Kotlin (@fishstreet_de) on Mar 4, 2020 at 12:45 pm PST

Overall, Lufthansa has canceled 95 percent of all flights. As a result, most of the planes remain on the ground and some of the remaining ones appear to be practically empty.

Corona crisis at Lufthansa: Hardly a get through on the service hotline

But even those who don't fly complain about massive problems at Lufthansa online. Long waiting times or no getting through the service hotline. Slow refunds, rebooking issues.

#Lufthansa Sat on hold for 2.5 hr then call drops, calling back- on hold for 3.5 hr till through. Finally sorted! Oh no straight away email from Lufthansa to call back, they have issues with this booking. Another 4 hr still on hold. Sort your online cancellation system out! pic.twitter.com/V3XSARxVNb

The demand is huge. Lufthansa has compiled the most important information on the validity of tickets after the corona crisis on its website. The company requests that the airline only be contacted by phone if the flight is within the next 72 hours.

We know that you have many questions. Please: Only call if your flight is scheduled within the next 72 hours, and please have your ticket number or booking code ready. Our staff is extremely busy trying to help everyone as much as they can. Thank you for your patience. #Lufthansa pic.twitter.com/sSnKldDcmS

All new information from Lufthansa and Frankfurt Airport on the coronavirus pandemic is available in our news ticker *.

By Isabel Wetzel

* fr.de andfnp.de are part of the nationwide Ippen-Digital editors network.

List of rubric lists: © Boris Rössler / dpa