BOSTON — A Lufthansa transatlantic flight bound for Germany was forced to abort its Atlantic crossing and divert to Massachusetts on Saturday evening.
Lufthansa Flight LH415, an Airbus A380-841 registered as D-AIMC, departed Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) on Saturday evening on a scheduled long-haul route to Munich Airport (MUC).
Following takeoff, the double-decker superjumbo climbed along the East Coast of the United States, cruising initially at 37,000 feet before stepping up to 38,000 feet. However, roughly two and a half hours into the flight, just as the aircraft was heading out over the open waters of the North Atlantic, the flight crew executed a U-turn to head back toward North American airspace.
Flight tracking data showed the aircraft descending as it approached New England and lining up for an unscheduled arrival at Boston Logan International Airport (BOS).
Lufthansa confirmed the diversion shortly after the aircraft entered its approach vector into Boston. To minimize disruption to travelers, the airline confirmed that a rescheduled departure from Boston Terminal E has been set for 04:30 AM local time.
The precise operational or technical cause for the mid-air turnback has not yet been detailed by the airline. Terminal support staff at Logan Airport were prepared to handle the incoming superjumbo and assist displaced passengers during the early morning layover.
UPDATE #1
Landed at 07:57 UTC on runway 33L.
