Air Berlin has refuted a report in a German magazine that one of its Boeing aircraft ran out of fuel over Crete.
The carrier maintains that the fuel level for the flight from Munich to Heraklion in September, which was subsequently diverted to Chania, was always over the legally required limit.
This is contrary to today’s preliminary report from Der Spiegel magazine and a bulletin of the German Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation (BFU).
Even after the safe landing in Chania, fuel levels were still sufficient, meaning more than the legally specified fuel reserves were present, a statement from the airline said.
“After pulling up from the initial approach to Heraklion, the plane was diverted to Chania. The crew declared an emergency while en route to Chania in order to avoid further delays on approach to the airport. This was purely a matter of precaution,” Air Berlin said.
“The facts clearly establish that the safety of the passengers was ensured at all times and that Air Berlin acted in accordance with regulations.”
Safety has the highest priority at Air Berlin and the amount of fuel uplift was in accordance with legal requirements in Germany and Europe, the carrier insisted.
The airline said it has been in close contact with the BFU regarding flight AB2242, and made immediate notification to the BFU regarding the incident.
“In many areas, the depiction in the BFU Bulletin for the month of September 2012 does not correspond with the facts,” the airline claimed.