Hundreds of Lufthansa Passengers Stranded Overnight on Planes in Munich
Munich airport has issued a sincere apology after approximately 600 travellers were compelled to spend an entire night aboard aircraft cabins due to a combination of severe weather conditions, strict night flight regulations, and a critical shortage of bus services. The incident unfolded on Thursday, February 24, 2026, when heavy, wet snowfall led to the cancellation of six late-night flights, leaving passengers stranded for up to seven hours in remote parking positions at the airport.
Flight Cancellations and Operational Challenges
The affected flights included five journeys operated by the Lufthansa Group, with destinations such as Copenhagen, Singapore, Gdansk, Graz, and Venice. Air Dolomiti, a subsidiary of Lufthansa, managed two of these flights, while an additional service by Air Arabia was also grounded. Munich airport typically enforces a strict night flight curfew between midnight and 5am, but on this occasion, takeoff permissions were extended to 1am to accommodate delays caused by the adverse weather, as approved by the Ministry of Transport.
However, the exceptional snowfall resulted in longer-than-average de-icing times and necessitated sudden runway closures for snow clearance. Consequently, the affected aircraft failed to meet the 1am deadline and were forced to return to remote stands. The airport spokesperson explained that terminal capacity was already maximised by flights cancelled earlier in the day, leaving no space for the late-returning planes.
Passenger Ordeal and Communication Breakdown
One notable example was Lufthansa flight LH2446, scheduled to depart Munich at 9:30pm for a 90-minute journey to Copenhagen. After boarding, rolling delays due to the worsening weather eventually led to its cancellation shortly before midnight. Passenger Søren Thieme recounted to Danish outlet Ekstra Bladet that around 2am, the crew informed the 123 people onboard that all bus drivers had already gone home and they were not permitted to leave the aircraft.
"The available terminal capacity was already occupied by cancelled flights that had been parked during the day, which is why the late-returning aircraft had to be parked in remote positions," stated the airport spokesperson. Due to the late hour, bus services were severely limited, exacerbating the situation. Passengers remained onboard until buses finally arrived in the early hours of Friday, with many rebooked onto the first available departures to their destinations.
Apologies and Compensation Measures
Munich airport expressed awareness that the situation was difficult and hard to understand for passengers, offering a sincere apology. They emphasised that passengers were never in danger, with airlines providing the best possible care, including heated cabins, sufficient power, and available catering. The airport is now collaborating with partners to fully clarify the incident and implement immediate process improvements.
A Lufthansa spokesperson added, "The crews kept passengers informed and provided them with the catering available on board, as far as possible. All aircraft were heated and had sufficient power." They acknowledged that it took hours before buses could retrieve the passengers, affecting around 500 individuals in total. Lufthansa has apologised for the unacceptable situation and is working with Munich Airport to prevent future occurrences. Affected passengers were contacted on Friday and will receive appropriate compensation payments.
This incident highlights broader challenges in aviation logistics during extreme weather events, underscoring the need for robust contingency planning and passenger welfare protocols.
