Lufthansa Flight to Hyderabad Forced to Return to Frankfurt Mid-Flight

A Lufthansa flight bound for Hyderabad from Frankfurt was compelled to turn back mid-air on Sunday, landing back at its departure airport. The Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, operating as flight LH752, took off from Frankfurt at approximately 2:14 p.m. local time, with an expected arrival at Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in the early hours of Monday. However, a few hours into the journey, the aircraft reversed course over Bulgarian airspace and returned to Frankfurt, landing around 5:30 p.m. local time, according to Lufthansa’s live flight tracker and FlightAware.

Passengers were informed during the flight that the aircraft lacked permission to land in Hyderabad, though the precise reason for the turnaround remains unclear. A passenger, traveling from the United States to visit her mother in Hyderabad, told that the announcement was made mid-flight, and the plane landed back in Frankfurt about 15 minutes prior to her statement. Lufthansa provided accommodations for passengers in Frankfurt and arranged for them to continue their journey the following day.

A Lufthansa spokesperson confirmed the return to Frankfurt but directed further inquiries to the airline or federal police, as reported. Sources indicated that Hyderabad’s Air Traffic Control received a message from the flight crew shortly after takeoff, stating their intent to return to Germany. Indian authorities have yet to provide an official statement on the incident.