Lufthansa passengers spend night on plane after Munich curfew

Passengers on a Lufthansa flight in Munich were forced to remain onboard overnight after the flight was canceled and airport operations had shut down, leaving no transport back to the terminal, Qazinform News Agency correspondent reports.
Passengers on a Lufthansa flight departing Munich for Copenhagen spent the night on an aircraft after the service was canceled late in the evening and no transportation was available to return them to the terminal.
The incident involved Lufthansa flight LH2446, which had been scheduled to depart Munich Airport at 9:30 p.m. local time. The flight experienced significant delays before passengers were taken by bus to an Airbus A320neo parked at a remote stand, where they waited onboard.
Shortly before midnight, the airline canceled the flight due to Munich Airport’s operating curfew, which restricts airport activity after 12:00 a.m. The airline attempted to arrange buses to bring passengers back to the terminal, but was unable to secure transport.
Flight crew later informed travelers that airport operations had closed for the night and no bus drivers were available. As access to airport movement areas is strictly regulated, passengers were not permitted to leave the aircraft on foot.
As a result, travelers remained onboard for several hours until the airport reopened in the early morning. The aircraft, typically used for short European routes, was not equipped for an extended stay. Reports indicated limited food and beverages were available, and no blankets or pillows were provided.
The Airbus A320neo used for the flight is normally configured for short-haul services with seating designed for brief journeys. The aircraft can carry up to 180 passengers, though capacity may be lower depending on cabin configuration.
Passengers eventually disembarked after buses arrived the following morning and were returned to the terminal. Many were later rebooked on alternative flights, including an early service that also experienced delays.
Munich Airport’s nighttime curfew and restricted access rules for airside areas limited available options for transporting passengers once operations had ceased. The flight’s scheduled travel time to Copenhagen is about 90 minutes, but those onboard reportedly spent six to seven hours on the aircraft before being allowed to leave.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that a coordinated strike by Lufthansa pilots and cabin crew had forced the cancellation of nearly 800 flights across Germany.