Lufthansa A340 damaged as Frankfurt airport truck catches fire

An empty Airbus SE A340-300 long-haul aircraft owned by Lufthansa was damaged on Monday after a tow truck maneuvering the plane around Frankfurt airport caught fire. About 10 people were taken to the hospital after for smoke inhalation, a spokeswoman for the carrier’s Lufthansa Technik maintenance unit said. The division operates plane-towing vehicles under the Leos brand in Frankfurt. The twin-aisle airliner was being moved at about 8 a.m. with no passengers on board in preparation to operate as Flight LH426 to Philadelphia, and must now be inspected for damage, a spokesman for Lufthansa said. A reserve plane will be used for the route instead, and the flight will leave on time as it’s an afternoon service, he said. The incident caused no delays or cancellations at the airport.<br/>