Lufthansa tells jets to carry extra fuel into Frankfurt as supplies tighten

BERLIN, Oct 15 (Reuters) - Lufthansa LHAG.DE has increased fuelling before flights to Frankfurt as a precautionary step because fuel supplies tighten at Germany's largest air hub due to reduced capacity at a pipeline, the airline said on Thursday.

Fraport, the airport operator, said routine maintenance was being carried out on a pipeline that supplies the airport with jet fuel but that this had been taken into account in its operations.

• Fraport said it did not expect a supply bottleneck from the pipeline maintenance, partly due to alternative supply routes and ample fuel storage capacity.

• "The airport's operational capability is therefore not affected," it said.

• Lufthansa said flight cancellations were not currently expected.

• Bild first reported the news, citing internal instructions it said were sent to Lufthansa pilots on selected routes to practise "tankering", taking more fuel than needed so jets require less or no refuelling in Frankfurt.

• Extra fuel is capped at 8 tons on Airbus A320-family aircraft so they can still be towed on the ground, and the rules mainly affect short-haul flights but increasingly some long-haul services, according to Bild.