23.02.2026
Heavy snowfall caused major challenges for airport operations during the night of February 19 to 20, 2026. Winter services were deployed with all available resources. Nevertheless, delays and cancellations occurred. Passengers in six aircraft ready for takeoff were particularly affected, as they were not given permission to take off in the early hours of the morning.
Munich Airport apologized expressly to the passengers affected:
"We are aware that the situation on Thursday evening was difficult and hard to understand for passengers. We sincerely apologize to the passengers affected.
Between midnight and 5 a.m., Munich is subject to night flight regulations, which only allow flights with individual approval from the Ministry of Transport. In order to support as many flights as possible, a special flight permit was obtained and, as an exception, aircraft were sent onto the tarmac until 1 a.m.
A total of six flights with around 600 passengers were affected. Five of these were operated by the Lufthansa Group and one by Air Arabia.
However, due to the exceptional weather conditions, these aircraft had to turn back unexpectedly.This was due to heavy, wet snowfall leading to longer than average de-icing times and the need to close the runways at short notice for snow clearance. Consequently, the affected aircraft were unable to meet the 1 a.m. deadline.
The available terminal capacity was already occupied by canceled flights that had been parked during the day, which is why the late-returning aircraft had to be parked in remote positions.
Due to the late hour and communication problems, bus service was severely restricted. At no time were passengers in danger. The airlines provided the passengers with the best possible care on the aircraft.
Our top priority is always the safety and satisfaction of our passengers, and these incidents do not meet our standards. We are currently working with our partners to fully clarify the situation and implement immediate process improvements."
