Berlin Airport Halts All Flights for Two Days Due to Freezing Rain Chaos
Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) faced major disruptions in early February after extreme freezing rain halted all flights for over two days. The severe weather led to around 800 cancellations and a noticeable drop in passenger numbers for the month. Overall traffic figures fell compared to last year's results.
The freezing rain struck in the first week of February, forcing BER to suspend operations for 16 hours. Airlines scrapped approximately 800 flights during the event, though no specific carriers were named as the most affected. Without these weather-related cancellations, passenger numbers would have likely surpassed those of February 2023.
Total aircraft movements for the month reached 12,351, a decrease of 1,059 compared to the same period last year. Passenger traffic also declined by 4.8%, with 1.63 million travellers passing through BER. Cargo volumes dipped slightly as well, dropping by 14 metric tons to 3,563 tons for the month.
The airport attributed the overall decline in activity to the severe weather conditions. Flights and ground operations gradually resumed after the ice cleared, but the impact on February's statistics was already significant.
BER's February performance reflects the disruption caused by the freezing rain event. Both passenger and cargo figures fell short of last year's totals, while flight movements saw a sharper decline. The airport's recovery will depend on stable weather and operational adjustments in the coming months.
