Message From the desk of Dr. André Schulz – Lufthanza

Dear Esteemed Business Partner,

The past weeks and months have welcomed many changes and posed some challenges in our industry. Sometimes we find it quite overwhelming to keep up to date with all the relevant news, guidelines and country regulations being updated on a daily basis. Thankfully, with modern technology at our disposal, we are able to remain connected and stay up to date with all the latest information.

One extremely effective way to keep yourself up to date with travel entry regulations is to keep an eye on our dedicated webpage. This site is updated regularly and is a reliable source of current entry regulations, as well as travel information.

Today however, we are witness to a very important milestone, which signifies an extremely positive shift for travellers from both South Africa and Namibia. In the latest ministerial vote of the Federal Republic of Germany, with effect from Sunday, 01 August 2021, South Africa and Namibia will be downgraded from being classified as virus variant areas by the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), to now being areas of High Risk. This means it is now easier to enter Germany from South Africa or Namibia, given that the quarantine period is only ten days instead of fourteen days and can be ended after just five days with a negative PCR test. Passengers who have been fully vaccinated with approved vaccines and come from High Risk areas do not need to be quarantined at all. Additionally, unlike in virus variant areas, there is no transport ban for travellers without German or EU citizenship.

It is without doubt that this news will have a significant impact on our day to day business, and is welcomed by us all with great excitement and elation. Based on these new regulations the airlines of the Lufthansa Group will continuously re-evaluate and adjust our capacity to meet the demand according to our customers needs.

I would like to thank you for your ongoing support to the Lufthansa Group and express my admiration for your patience over the last several months. It has not been an easy journey for us in the industry at all, but one thing is for sure, it has made us all stronger in one way or another, not only in business but personally as well. Until next time, stay safe!

Yours in Travel,

Dr. André Schulz
General Manager Southern Africa & East Africa