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MUNICH

Thousands of passengers stranded as Munich airport closes due to freezing rain

Air passengers in Germany are facing major disruption on Tuesday after Munich airport closed because of freezing rain and ice.

Published: 5 December 2023 09:46 CET
An iced over plane at Munich airport on Saturday December 2nd.
An iced over plane at Munich airport on Saturday December 2nd. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Karl-Josef Hildenbrand

Southern Germany has been hit by severe winter weather in the last days, disrupting travel across the region.

On Tuesday morning, Munich airport did not open after freezing rain overnight caused a build up of ice on all surfaces. 

At least 150 take-offs and 160 landings are affected, with flights completely grounded in the morning. 

The airport was due to open at 12noon – but bosses warned that there would likely be more cancellations throughout the day. 

“It can be assumed that a large number of flights will have to be cancelled later in the day for safety reasons,” a statement from the airport said.

Airport staff were using the first half of the day to de-ice the tarmac.

Airline giant Lufthansa is currently expecting restrictions on air traffic in Munich well beyond Tuesday.

It is believed that there will be significant disruption for the rest of the week, a company spokesperson told DPA.

Customers with booked tickets to or from Munich have the opportunity to cancel or change their ticket free of charge. This applies to tickets with a travel date up to December 9th.

Passengers are strongly advised by airport bosses to contact their airline before travelling to the airport to inquire about the status of their flight.

READ ALSO: How extreme winter weather in Germany could affect your travel plans

A grounded aircraft at Munich airport on Monday evening.

An aircraft at Munich airport on Monday evening. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Karl-Josef Hildenbrand

1,500 passengers stranded in Munich

Due to the restrictions on air traffic caused by the extreme winter weather in Bavaria in recent days, around 1,500 passengers have been stranded in Munich since Friday, a spokesperson said.

Munich is the second largest German airport, and an important hub for international air traffic so many international passengers are affected. 

On social media, passengers complained that connecting flights had been cancelled several times.

When asked by German media outlet Tagesschau, Munich airport confirmed that passengers had spent the night in the terminals, “including some more than once”.

Camp beds were reportedly being issued to passengers, along with drinks and food. 

Some social media users complained about Lufthansa, stating that they had been stuck in Munich for days, sometimes without luggage.

“Lufthansa is providing meals and hotel rooms free of charge to passengers whose onward flight is cancelled due to the weather situation in Munich,” a statement from Lufthansa said.

Passengers also have the option of booking a hotel room themselves and the costs would be reimbursed.

“Nevertheless, several hundred passengers are staying overnight in the terminal,” a Lufthansa spokesperson said in the statement. “Either because they don’t have a visa to enter the country or because they are not taking up the offer to book a hotel room.”

Restrictions in rail travel

Travel from Munich Hauptbahnhof (main station) is also still severely restricted. 

Deutsche Bahn expects disruptions in Bavaria and nationwide, especially in Baden-Württemberg and towards Switzerland, until the middle of the week.

Long-distance trains from Munich to Salzburg, Innsbruck and Zurich will not run on Tuesday, according to Deutsche Bahn. Regional trains south of Munich are also cancelled.

Travellers have been asked to postpone non-essential journeys until at least Wednesday. 

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EES PASSPORT CHECKS

EES border checks could undergo ‘soft launch’, UK says as app concerns mount

The UK government is preparing for a "soft launch" of the new EU border system – the Entry/Exit (EES) system - in October but authorities are still waiting for European Commission to confirm the start date, amid concerns over the delay of a new app.

Published: 4 May 2024 09:30 CEST
EES border checks could undergo 'soft launch', UK says as app concerns mount

The UK government is preparing for a soft launch of the new EU border system – the entry/exit (EES) system – on the assumption that it will go live on October 6th, ministers told a hearing at the House of Commons European scrutiny committee this week.

But the European Commission is expected to confirm the exact launch date of the new biometric checks for non-EU travellers entering the Schengen area at some point this summer, they added.

“We are very much working on a basis whereby this policy will go live on the 6th of October. It is important that we plan for that eventuality. We are expecting to hear definitively from the European Union that ‘go live’ arrangement in the summer,” Tom Pursglove, UK Minister for Legal Migration and the Border told the committee.

The parliamentary committee is conducting an inquiry on the disruptions the system will cause in the UK.

Pursglove also said that “precautionary measures” have been agreed by the EU, that will be put in place in certain circumstances after the start of EES, for example if delays at the borders exceeded a certain length of time.

Guy Opperman, Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Transport, said that in practice this meant a “soft launch” of EES for 6 months before “a full go live”. During that soft launch EU member states and the UK could deploy flexibility measures should problems occur.

“The likelihood is, after multiple delays, that the 6th of October will proceed” and the implementation looks “very different” compared to previous scenarios considering the flexibility allowed in the first 6 months, he argued.

No details were given on what these “flexible” measures would involve however. 

READ ALSO: Your questions answered about Europe’s EES passport checks

He conceded that “a lot of work” still needs to be done but the UK “should be as ready as everybody” and “better be at front of the queue”.

App not ready

During the meeting, it also emerged that a much-anticipated app that would allow remote pre-registration of non-EU citizens subject to the checks will not be available for testing until August “at best”, prompting concerns about the EES launch date.

“You don’t need to be a sceptic about future projects to think that the provision of the app in August for going live in October is optimistic,” Opperman said.

Ministers confirmed that the app will not be ready in time for October and the committee previously stated it might be delayed until summer 2025.

The app will facilitate pre-registration, but photo and fingerprints will still have to be taken at the border in front of a guard, the committee heard.

READ ALSO: How do the EU’s new EES passport checks affect the 90-day rule?

Several MPs asked whether the entry into operation of the EES should be delayed again if technology is not ready. But Under-Secretary Opperman said the app “is not going to be a panacea to fix all problems”.

The main aim of EES is to increase security and to ensure that non-EU nationals visiting the Schengen area for a short-term do not stay more than 90 days in any 180-day period.

The entry into operation of the system has already been delayed several times and there have been calls from certain travel companies and national authorities to delay it again.

Under the new scheme, non-EU/EFTA travellers who do not need a visa will have to register their biometric data (finger prints and facial images) in a database that will also record each time they enter and exit the Schengen area.

Instead of having passports manually stamped, travellers will have to scan them at self-service kiosks before crossing the border. However, fingerprints and a photo will have to be registered in front of a guard at the first crossing and there are concerns the extra time needed will generate long queues, especially in Dover, Folkestone and St. Pancras station in London, where there are juxtaposed French and UK border checks.

Progress in preparations

Minister Pursglove also updated MPs on ongoing preparations. He said some testing of the system will take place within days, 5 kiosks have been installed at St. Pancras station and are available for testing. “You are beginning to see the physical infrastructure appear,” he said.

Kiosks and extra lanes are also being created at the port Dover and it was agreed with the EU passengers travelling by coach will be checked away from the Eastern dock, where controls usually take place, allowing to gain space. The vehicles will then sealed and drive on the ferries.

MPs also discussed the infrastructure cost linked to the introduction of the EES. Opperman said all EU countries will have to make “huge investments” in their ports. In the UK, he argued, this will help “address problems that have existed for some time”. Because of this “massive investment”, in a few years time “Dover will be totally transformed,” he said.

This article is published in cooperation with Europe Street News.

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