At Berlin BER the airport was unable to launch any aircraft in the early hours of Friday morning. The operator announced that neither take‑offs nor landings were possible due to ice fog and persistent sleet. Despite the winter‑treatment crew applying de‑icing fluid to the runways and taxiways throughout the night, the surfaces remained mirror‑smooth, and the de‑icing proved ineffective. When flight operations will resume is still unknown.
For the safety of passengers and staff, all flight operations were temporarily suspended. Passengers are urged to check their flight status regularly before traveling, as even the evening before saw no departures or arrivals because of the ice conditions.
Earlier on Thursday, the airport already faced a series of problems. In the early morning, after freezing rain, planes could not start. De‑icing each aircraft took up to an hour, so the first flight only departed in the late morning. The resulting schedule suffered major delays and numerous cancellations, leaving many travelers with long waiting periods.
