Lufthansa: Flight forced to divert after cockpit crew declare 'air emergency' over a 'defective coffee maker'

A Lufthansa flight from Frankfurt to Gothenburg was forced to divert and make an emergency landing in Hamburg due to a “defective coffee maker”. The incident occurred on flight LH818 on Saturday evening (9 March) with the cockpit crew declaring an “air emergency”.

According to the airline, there was “brief local smoke development in the front galley” and the cause of the smoke is now being investigated. Aviation Source reported that the flight left Frankfurt at around 16:49 local time, and following the diversion the aircraft was grounded for the rest of the evening.

Lufthansa told NationalWorld that “there was no danger to the passengers or crew at any time during the flight” and the aircraft “landed normally”. The airline said in a statement: “Lufthansa flight LH818 en route from Frankfurt to Gothenburg made a precautionary stopover in Hamburg on the evening of March 09, 2024 due to a brief local smoke development in the front galley. The cockpit crew of the Airbus A319 declared an air emergency in accordance with the specified procedures in order to obtain a prioritised landing in Hamburg. 

“The aircraft landed normally and taxied to the gate on its own. The passengers left the aircraft normally. The cause of the smoke is now being thoroughly investigated by technicians.”

The airline added: “According to initial findings, the coffee machine was defective. There was no danger to the passengers or crew at any time during the flight. Lufthansa regrets any inconvenience caused. Safety has the highest priority in flight operations at all times.”