Imagine boarding a routine one-hour flight from Munich to Copenhagen, only to spend the entire night on board the plane.
On Thursday, February 19, 2026, passengers on Lufthansa flight LH2446 experienced their worst nightmare when they were stranded on a plane for over 10 hours with little to no facilities!
Heavy Snow and Mounting Delays
The flight was scheduled to depart at 9:30 PM local time on an Airbus A320neo, carrying 123 passengers.
However, a major snowstorm hit the area, causing runway closures, extensive de-icing queues, and widespread delays across the airport. It has been reported that there were over 100 cancellations that day.
After boarding, the Passengers were bused to a remote parking position and boarded the aircraft despite the ongoing delays. As the evening wore on, the plane reached the front of the de-icing line, but with Munich Airport’s strict midnight curfew approaching (and no extensions possible due to intensifying weather), the flight was officially cancelled just before midnight.
That was when the fun started!
No Immediate Way Back to the Terminal
In normal circumstances, buses would transport the passengers back to the terminal. However, the combination of severe weather and the overnight curfew meant there were bus drivers available after airport operations effectively shut down.
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Around 2:00 AM, the crew informed passengers that the airport had closed for the night and no transport could be arranged until morning. This left everyone onboard for several more hours, turning a short-haul flight into an unplanned overnight stay.
Conditions Onboard During the Wait
What made the situation even worse was the lack of provisions. The A320neo, built for quick regional hops, had limited supplies:
- Snacks and water ran low quickly, especially challenging for families with children.
- No extra blankets or pillows were available, leaving passengers to rest upright in economy seats amid fluctuating cabin temperatures.
- Tension built as the hours passed, with some passengers expressing frustration and discussing options like contacting emergency services.
Morning Arrives & Finally They Can Leave
Buses finally arrived in the early morning hours—around 4:00–5:00 AM according to various reports, after roughly 4–7 hours of post-cancellation confinement (depending on exact boarding and deplaning times).
Exhausted passengers were transported back to the terminal, where many faced difficulties rebooking or arranging accommodation as the airport slowly reopened.
Lufthansa’s Response and Broader Context
Lufthansa attributed the situation to heavy snowfall, which caused temporary runway closures and massive de-icing delays, requiring aircraft to remain on the apron per Munich Airport instructions. A lack of available buses during the curfew hours prevented earlier deplaning. The airline expressed regret for the inconvenience and noted that similar issues affected passengers on several other flights that night (totaling around 500 people across five or six aircraft).
Under EU261/2004, passengers may be entitled to compensation and reimbursement for expenses, though weather events may qualify as extraordinary circumstances that exempt the airline from delay/cancellation compensation in some cases. The extended onboard stay and inadequate care could still support claims for assistance. This incident highlights the challenges major hubs face during extreme weather, even with contingency plans in place.
