Lufthansa Gets Permission to Fly Passengers Home

Germany's aviation authority says it has granted Lufthansa permission to fly 50 long-haul planes back home with about 15,000 passengers.

Lufthansa spokesman Jan Baerwald said the planes, scattered around the world, would start getting ready "right now."

The first flights will be from the Far East, with others following from Africa and North America, he said.

The planes will fly to Frankfurt, Munich and Duesseldorf, he said, adding that "we have an exception that allows us to fly so-called visual flight rules."

Baerwald noted that air traffic control is still keeping its restrictions on German airspace.