Heavy snowfall led to the paralysis of Munich Airport, forcing approximately 600 passengers to spend the night aboard trapped aircraft. The lack of available shuttle buses and difficult weather conditions prevented the evacuation of travelers to the terminals. The incident has sparked a wave of criticism directed at airport authorities and Lufthansa, with German prosecutors already taking an interest in the case due to suspected violations of passenger rights.
Night in Trapped Aircraft
Nearly 600 passengers had to spend the night aboard aircraft due to a lack of transport to the terminal in Munich.
Prosecutor's Office Intervention
German investigators are examining the circumstances of the incident regarding potential legal negligence on the part of the airport operator.
Effects of Storm Hernando
Problems in Germany coincided with the cancellation of transatlantic flights from Ireland to the USA due to weather.
A winter onslaught in southern Germany led to a dramatic situation at Munich Airport. Approximately 600 people, traveling mainly with Lufthansa, were trapped aboard aircraft standing on the airport apron. Passengers spent the entire night from Sunday to Monday in the cabins because ground services were unable to provide safe transport to the terminals. According to official statements, the reason was a lack of available shuttle buses and the paralysis of taxiways caused by accumulated snow and ice. Many travelers described the conditions as scandalous, pointing to limited access to information and food. Munich Airport is Germany's second-largest aviation hub, handling over 40 million passengers annually before the pandemic. As a major transit hub for southern Europe and transatlantic flights, any disruption to its operations reverberates through the global flight network.The situation also affected Polish citizens who were among the trapped passengers. Following media intervention and numerous complaints, airport authorities and Lufthansa representatives issued official apologies. However, for many people this is not enough – passengers are announcing class-action lawsuits, and legal experts are analyzing whether there were gross negligence regarding safety and care for travelers. Compensation for the situation could reach record amounts, considering the time passengers were trapped in the confined space of the aircraft. „Das ist ein absolutes Armutszeugnis für den Flughafen. Wir saßen zehn Stunden in der Maschine und starrten auf das Terminal, zu dem uns niemand bringen wollte.” — One of the passengers Simultaneously, weather problems occurred on the other side of the Atlantic. The winter storm Hernando, which hit the eastern coast of the USA as a powerful cyclone, forced the cancellation of numerous transatlantic flights. Weather problems in the USA led to mass delays and cancellations of flights from European ports, including Dublin and Shannon, further complicating the situation at hubs. Aviation experts emphasize that such a large scale of disruption, despite earlier predicted snowfall in Munich, indicates critical failures in the airport's crisis management.