Berlin Brandenburg Airport halted flight operations Friday morning for a second day as freezing rain and black ice made takeoffs and landings impossible. The airport said poor weather had left runways too slippery for safe operations and advised travelers to check their flight status before coming to the terminal.
The disruption followed widespread cancellations on Thursday caused by the same weather system. Airport staff worked overnight to clear runways, but clearing efforts were only partially successful and officials said it remained unclear when normal service could resume as the precipitation persisted.
Situated in Schönefeld just south of Berlin, Berlin Brandenburg is Germany’s third-busiest airport after Frankfurt and Munich and serves eastern parts of Brandenburg state.
Germany’s national weather service warned of freezing rain and black ice across large parts of northeastern Germany, though forecasters said conditions were expected to improve during the day as temperatures approach the freezing point. Milder conditions were forecast for much of western Germany, with daytime highs near 10 degrees Celsius along the Rhine over the weekend.
The wintry weather also caused broader travel disruption: police reported multiple accidents on the Autobahn 10 around Brandenburg’s capital on Thursday, leaving about 19 people injured, and rail services between Berlin and Hamburg were affected.
This story will be updated as more information becomes available.