Passengers on a night 
Lufthansa flight out of Munich ended up stranded on the plane all night time after an unfortunate collection of occasions. With the flight already closely delayed and subsequently canceled simply earlier than midnight, no buses had been accessible to take the passengers again to the airport.
The flight crew then knowledgeable passengers that Munich Airport had closed and that each one bus drivers had already gone dwelling. As a consequence, passengers needed to mattress in for the night time on the Airbus A320neo, reportedly with out ample meals, drink or blankets, till the airport reopened once more within the morning.
Lufthansa Passengers Stuck Overnight On A320neo
As first reported by Danish information outlet Ekstra Bladet, the incident occurred on Thursday evening as Lufthansa flight LH2446 ready to depart 
Munich Airport (MUC) en path to Copenhagen Airport (CPH). The flight was scheduled to depart at 9:30 PM native time, however would find yourself being considerably delayed. Passengers had been finally bused out to the plane, which was boarding from a distant stand, earlier than ready on the plane.
Date | February 19, 2026 |
Airline | Lufthansa |
Flight Number | LH2446 |
Departure | Munich Airport (MUC) |
Destination | Copenhagen Airport (CPH) |
Aircraft Type | Airbus A320neo |
Passengers | 123 |
Lufthansa in the end canceled the flight simply earlier than midnight due to Munich Airport’s strict operating curfew, leaving passengers within the lurch. The airline spent the following couple of hours searching for a bus to ferry passengers again to the terminal, however was unable to take action. According to passenger Søren Thieme, at round 2:00 AM, Lufthansa crew knowledgeable passengers that the airport had closed and there have been no accessible bus drivers. Thieme advised Ekstra Bladet,
“We hear from the staff that they can’t get hold of anyone inside the airport anymore. The airport is just closed, they tell us. Then we are told that all the bus drivers have gone home and that we are not allowed to leave the plane. So all the staff have gone home.”
Not The Best Night’s Sleep
The Lufthansa flight was a reasonably brief service to Denmark’s Copenhagen with an approximate flight time of 90 minutes. This meant the plane was understandably not well-equipped for what primarily grew to become a long-haul flight. There had been reportedly solely small portions of foods and drinks objects stocked onboard, and no pillows or blankets both, making it an uncomfortable night for most.
As per ch-aviation information, Lufthansa’s A320neos provide a typical ‘Euro-Biz’ configuration and might accommodate as much as 180 passengers, though this reduces to 164 passengers if the entrance eight rows are used as enterprise class. The seat pitch is between 29-30 inches, which implies much less legroom than most widebody, long-haul plane.
Passengers had been finally rescued by buses someday within the early morning, disembarking the plane and returning to the terminal. Many had been rebooked on the primary accessible flight that morning, which was additionally delayed by an hour. It is not recognized precisely when passengers boarded the preliminary flight, however they seemingly spent six or seven hours onboard earlier than they had been allowed to go away.
First Peek: Inside Lufthansa’s Stunning New First Class Lounge
Lufthansa has beforehand emphasised its “major premium offensive” to affirm its place as a premium airline.
What Could Lufthansa Have Done?
While an unlucky state of affairs like this might be forgiven at a extra distant airport, it occurred at one among Lufthansa’s two mega-hubs, the place the airline ought to have sufficient affect to rearrange an answer. At one level, passengers requested the crew why they could not simply stroll off the plane and return to the terminal on foot.
However, employees advised them that this was in opposition to the legislation, as there are strict guidelines on airport space entry. This can even have performed in opposition to Lufthansa’s efforts to search out transportation for passengers, as solely licensed autos are permitted to enter airport areas. Munich Airport’s 12:00 AM curfew successfully shut down the airport for the night time, with floor groups not used to servicing plane previous midnight.
Lufthansa put the flight’s delay and cancellation all the way down to weather-related issues and cited a “lack of apron buses” till the early morning. The airline confirmed that 123 passengers had been onboard, and so they have been rebooked on the following accessible flights.
