FACT CHECK: Facebook Video Falsely Claims ‘Frozen’ Jet In Munich Was Headed For Dubai Climate Change Conference

Christine Sellers | Fact Check Reporter

A video shared on Facebook claims to show a “frozen” jet in Munich, Germany, that was purportedly headed to a climate change conference in Dubai.

Verdict: False

A keyword search using the jet’s identification reveals its flight history, which shows it landed over three weeks ago. A spokesperson for the Munich Airport told Check Your Fact the jet tipped over following a recent snowstorm.

Fact Check:

Over 700 flights at Munich Airport were canceled due to heavy snow on Dec. 2, according to CNN. Munich received over a foot and a half of snow, The Washington Post reported.

The Facebook video purports to show a “frozen” jet in Munich, Germany, that was purportedly headed to a climate change conference in Dubai. Heavy snowfall is visible on both the runway and the jet. The identification, OE-HUB appears on the jet’s tail.

The claim is false, however. A keyword search using OE-HUB, the jet’s identification, reveals its flight history, which shows it landed over three weeks ago on Nov. 15. The jet appears to have returned to Munich from Belgium. The jet’s flight history is available via the website Flight Aware.

Likewise, the same keyword search reveals the jet is a Cessna Citation X and is operated by Bairline Fluggesellschaft. The jet, which was manufactured in 2007, holds nine people and measures a length of 29.43 feet, a width of 5.51 feet, and a height of 5.67 feet, according to a fact sheet published on Avia Pages.

Furthermore, Check Your Fact found no credible news reports indicating a “frozen” jet in Munich was prevented from attending a climate change conference in Dubai. (RELATED: Video Claims To Show AC-130 ‘Combat Footage’ Against Somali Pirates)

A spokesperson for the Munich Airport told Check Your Fact the jet tipped over following a recent snowstorm.

“We can confirm that late Friday evening there was an incident at Munich Airport involving a parked aircraft – the heavy snow that had accumulated in the tail section caused the aircraft to lift by itself. Firemen put the aircraft back on its wheels and stabilized it. We have no information on the owner of the aircraft or its intended destination,” the spokesperson said in an email.

Lead Stories also reported on the claim and contacted Bairline Fluggesellschaft, who confirmed they owned the jet.

“I can confirm that the aircraft belongs to our company. However it was not planned on any flight to Dubai or another flight around this date of the issuance of the video. The aircraft was solely parked on the apron in Munich due to no hangar capacity,” a spokesperson for the company told the outlet.

Although the Facebook video did not provide specific details, it appears to be referencing the United Nation’s Climate Change Conference taking place in Dubai from Nov. 30 to Dec. 12.

Check Your Fact has also contacted Bairline Fluggesellschaft for comment and will update this piece accordingly if one is received.

Christine Sellers

Fact Check Reporter

Trending