German government clarified on 22 that Lufthansa’s request to the Argentine government to allow its passenger plane to the Malvinas Islands (known as the Falkland Islands in Britain) to fly over Argentine airspace does not mean that Germany recognizes the islands as Argentine territory.
The German government’s position on the disputed British-Argentine islands has not changed and “the activities of private companies do not represent the government and do not have international implications,” Reuters reported, citing a German Foreign Ministry spokesman.
Lufthansa plans to send two passenger planes from Hamburg, Germany, to the British Air Force Mount Pleasant base on the Isle of Man to transport scientific researchers and logisticians.
Lufthansa said the polar research crew usually transfer to the Isle of Man via Cape Town, South Africa, and then take a research vessel to the Antarctic, a regular route affected by the new South African crown epidemic suspended.
The Argentine Foreign Ministry said on the 21st, Lufthansa applied for transit through Argentina, and applied for landing in the Isle of Man when the town of Ushuaia, the southern tip of Argentina; the German government also applied to the Argentine Coast Guard to allow the German “Polaris” research vessel docked in the capital of the island of Argentina port (the UK said Port Stanley).
After the Lufthansa airliner arrives on the island, the crew will be transferred to a research vessel to carry out research on climate change in Antarctica.
Argentina has concluded that Lufthansa’s transit request implies that the German side recognizes the island as “part of Argentine territory.
