23.02.2026 19:41
Heavy snowfall in Munich, Germany, turned into hours of suffering for hundreds of passengers. On February 19, planes scheduled to take off for Lufthansa and Air Dolomiti flights were unable to move due to adverse weather conditions and operational disruptions. Approximately 500 passengers, including families with children, were forced to wait inside the aircraft throughout the night. The passengers protested against what had happened.
What happened at Munich Airport, one of the busiest airports in Germany, turned into a chain of negligence that will go down in aviation history. Authorities, using the snowfall as an excuse, effectively subjected 500 passengers, including families with babies, to a "prison life."
The snowfall that began on the night of February 19 turned into a nightmare for passengers of Lufthansa and its subsidiary Air Dolomiti.
Due to the full parking areas connected to the terminal and the inadequacy of transfer buses, the planes expected to take off could not return from the apron. As a result, passengers had to wait for hours inside the aircraft. Approximately 500 passengers stuck on the planes had to wait until morning without being able to get up from their seats. Passengers could only be transported to the terminal when the buses resumed operation in the morning.
BUS DRIVERS HAD GONE HOME
The most critical point of the scandal emerged through announcements inside the aircraft. A passenger named Søren Thieme, who was stranded on the Copenhagen flight, described the situation as follows:
"They told us that all the bus drivers had finished their shifts and gone home. We were not allowed to disembark from the plane due to the lack of staff. We were literally trapped inside the aircraft."
NO FOOD, NO BLANKETS, NO CONTACT
Passengers who boarded the plane for a 90-minute short-haul flight spent the night in cramped seats for 8 hours. Families with children stranded at the last transfer point after returning from a holiday in Thailand stated that the airline only provided them with a few bottles of water and did not even supply blankets. Due to the halt of operations at midnight and the "closure" of the airport, calls for help went unanswered.
LUFTHANSA'S "DEEP REGRET" STATEMENT
Following the incident's coverage in the global press, Lufthansa issued a statement. The company acknowledged the heavy snowfall and delays in de-icing operations but placed the blame for the scandal on the airport management.
The company argued that passengers could not be transported to the terminal because apron buses and staff were unavailable, following instructions from the airport. It was also noted that the flight ban between 00:00 and 05:00 completely paralyzed operations.
"LEAVING PEOPLE TRAPPED ON THE PLANE IS UNACCEPTABLE"
While the affected passengers understood the cancellations due to adverse weather conditions, they protested being left stranded inside the aircraft for hours. A passenger speaking to Bild newspaper reacted to the organizational disaster by saying, "Flights can be canceled, but leaving people on the plane indefinitely and ignoring them is a complete scandal."
A spokesperson for Munich Airport merely stated that they felt "deep regret" for the disruptions experienced.