Plane damaged at Almaty Airport: Lufthansa reveals details

Tengrinews.kz – Lufthansa commented on the incident involving a fuel truck at Almaty Airport.

The airline confirmed that the incident occurred with flight LH648 (Almaty – Astana) on October 12. According to Lufthansa, the Airbus A330-300 (registration D-AIGV) sustained minor damage when a fuel truck “made light contact with the outer part of one of the engines while slowly moving on the apron.”

“We can confirm that flight LH648 from Almaty to Astana sustained slight damage due to contact between a fuel truck and the outer engine cover. The damage was thoroughly inspected by our technical specialists, the crew, and maintenance staff in Frankfurt. Only superficial scratches were found, and the engine remains fully operational,” Lufthansa’s press service stated.

The aircraft was cleared for flight and departed for Astana with a six-hour delay. The return flight to Frankfurt was postponed by 22 hours due to crew scheduling shifts.

“Engineers in Frankfurt completed the necessary repairs, and the aircraft has returned to service. Lufthansa regrets any inconvenience this may have caused passengers. Safety is always our top priority,” the airline emphasized.

Photo: social media

Earlier, Almaty Airport reported that the incident occurred around 01:25 a.m. on October 13. After refueling, the fuel truck “slightly grazed the aircraft’s engine,” leaving only minor surface scratches. A detailed investigation is underway.

Previously, Lufthansa announced a temporary suspension of flights to Kazakhstan for the 2025–2026 winter season, affecting routes Frankfurt–Almaty and Frankfurt–Astana from October 26, 2025, to March 29, 2026.