Updated 7pm

Air Malta was forced to cancel flights to and from Munich on Friday and Saturday after heavy snowfall prompted German authorities to close Munich Airport.

Flights KM306/307/308/309 were all cancelled as a result, the airline said in a statement.

It added that it was waiting to receive confirmation that Munich flights scheduled for Sunday, December 3 would be able to operate.

Munich Airport has so far said that it intends to suspend all flights until 2pm on Sunday.

Impacted customers who booked their flight directly through Air Malta can request a full refund by emailing refundrequest@airmalta.com. For flights booked through travel agents, customers should contact their travel agent to submit a refund request on their behalf.

Customers can rebook their ticket to another flight by contacting the Air Malta Customer Service Centre on 00356 21662211, Monday to Friday from 8am to 8pm or 6pm on weekends, quoting their booking reference or ticket number. The call centre will remain open till 8pm on Saturday, December 3.

Germany’s official weather service has forecasted extensive snowfall across Bavaria throughout Saturday, with up to 40cm of snow expected to fall within 12 hours in some areas.

Around 320 of the 760 flights scheduled for Saturday in Munch Airport were cancelled, the German news agency DPA reported.

Local bus and tram services were also cancelled throughout the city.

The forced airport closure left thousands of impacted passengers effectively stranded at Munich Airport, as much transportation to the city was not operational.

One passenger whose flight to Malta was cancelled said many airport workers were missing on Saturday and access to and from the airport was limited.

"Only water and blankets were provided... we might be here until Monday if the snow keeps falling," he said.