123 passengers on board a Lufthansa aircraft to Copenhagen Airport (CPH) were stranded overnight at Munich Airport (MUC). The incident took place on Thursday evening, Feb. 19, following a cancelled flight.
Lufthansa passengers left on board
According to Danish outlet Ekstra Bladet, Lufthansa flight LH2446 to Copenhagen Airport was scheduled to depart at 9:30 p.m. on Thursday. The service, operated by an Airbus A320, was delayed before passengers were transported by bus to the aircraft, which was parked at a remote stand.
However, just before midnight, the airline cancelled the flight, citing Munich Airport’s strict operating curfew.
With the terminal reportedly closed for the night, efforts to return passengers from the aircraft were unsuccessful. No buses were immediately available, leaving 123 travellers confined to the plane.
Speaking to Ekstra Bladet, one of the passengers, Søren Thieme shared,
“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.”
Passengers remained on board the short-haul aircraft without food, drinks or blankets.
Aftermath of the flight cancellation
The flight LH2446 was a short service to CPH, with a flight time of approximately 90 minutes, which meant that the aircraft wasn’t equipped with enough essentials, unlike the long-haul flights.
This worsens the situation as the passengers spend overnight without enough essentials and leg space. Passengers were rescued after hours in the morning, and the flight was disembarked and returned to the terminal.
Airlines rebooked the tickets for their passengers, and many were boarded on the first available flight and left Munich Airport after nearly being stranded at the airport for six to seven hours.
What could the airline have done to rescue the passengers earlier? Share your opinion with us in the comments.
