One passenger said he had been waiting on an airline phone line for more than 9 hours trying to rebook his flight.
Flight chaos continues at Germany’s second busiest hub Munich Airport, with flights suspended until 12 noon today (Tuesday).
The airport issued a notice late last night saying: “On Tuesday, 5.12. there will be no take-offs and landings from the start of operations at 6 a.m. until 12 noon. The reason for this is freezing rain in the night from Monday to Tuesday, which makes safe flight operations impossible in the morning.”
They went on to say they hope to resume flights from midday, after de-icing the runways.
However most passengers should not expect to travel today, with the airport saying: “It can be assumed that the majority of flights will also have to be canceled during the rest of the day for safety reasons.”
Airport warns passengers not to travel to the airport
The airport has issued a warning to passengers: if you haven’t had confirmation that your flight is going, stay at home.
Many passengers have taken to social media to complain about the service they have received from airlines, with some saying they have had multiple flights cancelled. The airport responded to one user that this is the “first time ever” for snow.
There was a similar situation at Munich airport in December last year, when 133 flights were cancelled due to a frozen runway.
Munich airport: Flight disruption continues
Munich airport first shut down on Saturday after heavy snowfall. Disruption continued on Sunday and Monday.
Of the 840 flights scheduled at the airport yesterday, 230 were cancelled.
The airport’s Christmas market is also closed.
Some passengers have taken to social media to question why Munich airport is not able to handle freezing rain and snow like other airports.
What is the advice for passengers at Munich airport?
The airport and airlines are instructing passengers to check airline’s websites and apps for information on their flights.
The airport has repeatedly taken to Twitter to ask passengers not to go to the airport unless they have had confirmation that their flight is scheduled to run. On a tweet yesterday, a user commented “First time snowing yeah?” The airport then replied: “Yes, first time ever.”
Lufthansa, one of the main airlines that uses the airport, explained yesterday that they would “have to cancel further flights” due to “frozen airport equipment or snow-covered vehicles.”
They advised passengers to “check the status of their flight on Lufthansa.com or in the Lufthansa app before traveling to the airport.
Deutsche Bahn advises against travel in or out of Munich
Train travel also continues to be severely impacted by the bad weather.
Yesterday here were only a few long-distance trains running from Munich Hauptbahnhof, the city’s main train station.
Train operator Deutsche Bahn (DB) advised passengers to postpone travel until at least today (5th December).
ADVERTISEMENTWhat are train passengers’ rights?
Passengers who want to postpone trips from 2-4 December due to the weather can use their ticket at a later date.
It is also possible to take a different route than the one booked if it is going to the same destination. Meanwhile, seat reservations can be cancelled free of charge.
Refunds are also possible if passengers cannot travel at a later date.
A free hotline (08000-996633) has been set up for customers who want more information about the current situation.
What other train services are impacted?
S-Bahn and regional services around Munich are also impacted, with tracks expected to gradually improve over the next few days.
ADVERTISEMENTThere were still no connections between the state capital and Innsbruck and Salzburg in Austria, as well as Zurich in Switzerland. These services were expected to resume on Tuesday.
DB also said that there may be train cancellations and delays in other parts of Germany due to the freezing weather.
‘Stuck in #Munich for a third day now’
Passengers have taken to social media to complain about the service they have received from airlines during the disruption.
A German user posted a photo of his phone, showing a phone call lasting 9 hours and 12 minutes. He said he was trying to get through to Lufthansa.
User Kellie Tudor asked British Airways for help to get home for a family emergency.
ADVERTISEMENTOthers have been more positive, posting snow-filled photos from Munich.
Are you stuck in Munich? Get in touch with your story via Twitter or Instagram.
Emily Foster is a globe-trotting journalist based in the UK. Her articles offer readers a global perspective on international events, exploring complex geopolitical issues and providing a nuanced view of the world’s most pressing challenges.
