Information on coronavirus

The German Robert Koch Institute has defined high-risk areas where COVID-19 is continuing to spread. At this time, they comprise the following:

• Egypt: the entire country
• France: the entire country
• Iran: the entire country
• Italy: the entire country
• Austria: the entire country
• Switzerland: the Ticino, Vaud and Geneva cantons
• Spain: the entire country
• South Korea: the Daegu metropolitan area and the province of North Gyeongsang
• USA: the states of California, Washington, New York and New Jersey

The following applies only to returnees from these high-risk areas:

Under the state of Hesse’s Ordinance on Combatting the Coronavirus of March 20, 2020, the Hessian Ministry of Social Affairs and Integration requires all persons who have been in an area with a high risk of infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus to quarantine themselves in their own homes. In addition, persons whose place of residence is not in the state of Hesse are prohibited from working there in application of Section 31, Sentence 1 of the German Infectious Diseases Protection Act (Infektionsschutzgesetz). The cited ordinance expires at midnight on April 19, 2020. If you have any questions, please contact the responsible health department at your destination.

We apologize for the fact that we are currently unable to ensure the usual shopping and dining opportunities at Frankfurt Airport. The decisions made by the German federal and Hessian governments to combat the COVID-19 epidemic have required us to close most of the shops and reduce the hours of restaurants inside the terminals. However, food and beverages will be available enough of the time to meet basic needs. We are endeavoring to maintain at least this basic level of service. In the transit areas, their availability will be continually adjusted in response to the departures and arrivals that are still taking place.

The Lufthansa Group continues to suspend flights to mainland China until 24 April 2020. This concerns flights to Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing, Shenyang and Qingdao. In addition, flights on short- and medium-haul routes may be reduced by up to 25 per cent in the coming weeks.

A return flight schedule will be in effect for the airlines in the Lufthansa Group. This will initially be valid until 19 April 2020. Long-haul flights are offered as scheduled from Frankfurt and Zurich. Lufthansa's intercontinental flight schedule from Frankfurt is as follows: three times a week to Newark, Chicago (both USA), Montreal (Canada), Sao Paulo (Brazil), Bangkok (Thailand), Tokyo (Japan) and Johannesburg (South Africa). 

Lufthansa passengers planning a trip over the next few weeks are advised to check the status of the respective flight before embarking on their journey. Guests who have provided Lufthansa with their contact details will be informed if their flight is cancelled. You can find more information at Lufthansa.com. 

(Source: Lufthansa)

The crews of cargo flights must also fill out the passenger locator cards (PLCs). These may all be collected and submitted once a week to the medical center at Frankfurt Airport.

Currently the terminals are being flexibly cleaned as needed depending on passenger volumes. Sanitary facilities are cleaned daily as required on the basis of spot checks and more thoroughly when appropriate. Cleaning personnel is continuously on duty in heavily used facilities. In addition, maintenance cleaning of all terminal areas and installations is carried out at night (including handrails, door handles, light switches etc.). All waste receptacles are also cleaned daily.

Disinfecting cleansers are used.

In baby rooms, the TÜV uses sterile samplers once a month to identify any contamination. Additional samples are taken as required.

The airport operator is currently also responsible for cleaning the customs and security areas.

Compliance with hygiene regulations is regularly checked at hazard analysis and critical control points (HACCPs) in the on-site shops, cafeterias etc. that sell, prepare, or serve food.

Passengers and Crews arriving in Germany from China, Hong Kong, Macau, South Korea, Japan, Iran and Italy are required to complete so-called passenger locator cards (PLCs) before leaving the aircraft, providing information on the flight and on where they can be contacted for for the next 30 days after arrival. The PLCs are handed out by the crew during the flight. PLCs must be handed over by an airline staff member to Frankfurt Airport’s Medical Center in a sealed envelope, indicating the respective flight number and date. The passenger locator cards are stored at the Frankfurt Health Department and may be used for contacting the respective passengers, if required.

Pursuant to Section 10, Paragraph 1 of the German Law on the Implementation of International Health Regulations (IGV) of 2005, the German Ministry of Health has mandated with immediate effect that:

The pilot of every aircraft arriving from the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Italian Republic, Japan, the Republic of Korea (South Korea), or the People’s Republic of China (including the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macao) must submit a statement on the health situation on board the aircraft in accordance with Section 38 in conjunction with Annex 9 of IGV prior to its first landing at an airport in the Federal Republic of Germany.

For flights to the Federal Republic of Germany from the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Italian Republic, Japan, the Republic of Korea (South Korea), and the People’s Republic of China (including the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macao), airlines must keep data on their passengers for at least 30 days after landing; in particular, this includes electronically stored data for identifying and contacting passengers and their seat assignments.

Aircraft must be disinfected if ordered by, and following consultation with, the responsible health department. The airline is responsible for arranging for disinfection. For more information, please contact the Customer Service Center.

• Federal Foreign Office
• Federal Ministry of Health
• Coronavirus: 4 things travelers to Germany should know
• EASA - European Union Aviation Safety Agency
• IATA Coronavirus Update
  
• Robert Koch Institut
• World Health Organization 
• European Centre fpr Disease Prevention and Control