Munich airport shuts down due to extreme cold

The second-largest airport in Germany, Munich Airport, will close on Tuesday morning because of the bad weather.

Due to the forecast of freezing rain and significant snowfall, all flights have been suspended on Tuesday from 6:00am until noon local time (0500 GMT).

The decision aims to prioritise passenger safety, as the forecasted freezing rain could pose a significant risk for morning flights.

The management of the airport stressed that the closure was required to ensure safe aviation operations. The runway will be de-iced by airport workers during the closure. But, given the weather forecast, the other flights that are scheduled for the rest of the day may also be cancelled for safety reasons.

It is highly recommended that travellers who intend to use Munich Airport get in touch with their respective airlines before arriving at the airport. The shutdown follows the airport's closure over the weekend owing to heavy snowfall, which severely disrupted train and air traffic throughout Bavaria.

Although train services have returned after the turmoil caused by the snow, Munich's local train services are still having issues because of the prolonged cold weather. Only a few long-distance trains run as scheduled at the major rail station, and operations are still restricted.

The severity of the weather affecting transport in southern Germany is highlighted by the closure of the airport and the continuous disruptions in train services.