Outrage as passengers spend night locked in planes at Munich Airport

2026-02-23 - 10:52

Lufthansa and Munich Airport face mounting backlash after hundreds of passengers spent Thursday night trapped aboard aircraft during a severe snowstorm, raising serious questions about emergency preparedness at one of Europe's busiest aviation hubs. Approximately 500 travelers were affected across five Lufthansa Group flights bound for Singapore, Copenhagen, Gdansk, Graz, and Venice when heavy snowfall forced cancellations and left planes stranded on remote tarmac areas. Passenger Ordeal German media delivered scathing assessments of the incident Monday. Newspaper Merkur headlined its coverage "Nightmare at Munich Airport: Passengers locked in planes all night," while Bild tabloid challenged officials' characterization of the event as an "inconvenience," asking pointedly: "Are you serious?" Aviation expert and pilot Mirko Miesen expressed disbelief at the response, telling n-tv news: "At this point, I really wonder why people are treated with such ignorance, knowing that they are sitting there in a confined space, perhaps even with children, perhaps with elderly people." Official Explanations Lufthansa stated that regulations required aircraft to remain at remote parking areas, with no available terminal gates and a shortage of airport buses preventing timely passenger disembarkation. "Crews continuously informed the guests and provided them with the best possible care with the drinks and food available on board," the airline said, adding that passengers could only be retrieved "after hours." A Munich Airport spokesperson attributed the chaos to "very tense" weather conditions overnight Thursday to Friday, noting that all direct terminal parking spaces were occupied and bus capacity proved insufficient. Apologies and Reviews The airport expressed deep regret, stating it "very much regret the inconveniences" and apologizing to affected passengers. Officials emphasized that emergency plans exist and are regularly reviewed, though the incident suggests significant gaps in implementation during extreme weather events. The prolonged confinement of hundreds of passengers in aircraft cabins highlights vulnerabilities in airport crisis management protocols and the need for improved contingency planning for weather-related disruptions at major international hubs.