Black Ice Shuts Down Berlin Airport Flights Again

Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER), Germany’s third-busiest air hub, found itself at the center of a winter chaos on Friday, February 6, 2026, as black ice and persistent freezing rain forced a complete suspension of all flight operations. The closure, which began late Thursday evening, left travelers stranded, airlines scrambling, and much of northern Germany’s transportation network in disarray. As of Friday afternoon, there was still no clear word on when take-offs and landings would resume, according to statements made by airport officials and reported by German news agency DPA and Reuters.

“Due to weather conditions, no take-offs or landings are currently possible,” the airport stated on its website, echoing the grim reality faced by passengers and airlines alike. This blunt message was repeated across multiple outlets, including BBC and Reuters, underscoring the severity of the disruption. The airport’s spokeswoman elaborated that ground crews had worked through the night, deploying de-icing agents in an attempt to make the runways and taxiways safe. Despite their efforts, “surfaces remained extremely slippery,” she explained, and the persistent freezing rain meant there was little hope for improvement in the immediate future.

The problems began late on Thursday, February 5, when snow and freezing rain blanketed Berlin and its surrounding areas. Airlines were forced to delay or cancel hundreds of flights, with FlightAware reporting that almost 170 flights at BER were canceled within a 24-hour span. According to DW, the situation was exacerbated by the fact that freezing rain continued to fall, creating layers of black ice that proved nearly impossible to clear. The airport, which is located in the town of Schönefeld just south of Berlin, is a vital link for both domestic and international travel, making the closure especially disruptive.

It wasn’t just the airport feeling the effects of the wintry blast. Across northern and eastern Germany, transportation systems buckled under the pressure. Germany’s national weather service (DWD) issued warnings for freezing rain and black ice across swathes of the region, predicting that the dangerous conditions would likely persist throughout the day. On the roads, police reported multiple accidents on the Autobahn 10 highway near Potsdam, resulting in 19 injuries on Thursday. Rail services between Berlin and Hamburg were also hit by delays and cancellations, leaving commuters searching for alternative routes.

Meanwhile, the rest of Germany experienced a patchwork of weather. While the north and east struggled with sub-zero temperatures and icy precipitation, milder weather was forecast for the south and west. Along the Rhine River, for example, temperatures were expected to reach as high as 10 degrees Celsius over the weekend, providing some respite for travelers in those regions.

Back at Berlin Brandenburg Airport, the mood among travelers ranged from frustration to resignation. Passengers were urged to check the status of their flights before making their way to the airport, though many found themselves camped out in terminals or nearby hotels, waiting for updates. The airport’s website and social media feeds were updated regularly, but the core message remained unchanged: operations were suspended, and there was no timeline for when normal service would resume.

The closure also raised questions about passenger rights and compensation, especially given the scale of the disruption. According to reporting by Euronews, EU laws entitle travelers to certain protections in the event of flight delays or cancellations. If a flight is delayed by more than three hours, passengers may be eligible for compensation ranging from €250 to €600, depending on the distance of the journey. In cases of cancellation, travelers have the right to choose between reimbursement, re-routing, or a return flight. Airlines are also required to provide assistance at the airport, such as meals and accommodation if passengers are rebooked to travel the next day.

However, there is a catch. As consumer watchdog Which? Travel explained, airlines are not obliged to provide financial compensation if the disruption is caused by “extraordinary circumstances” — a category that includes extreme and unforeseeable weather events. “Flight delays or cancellations due to snow can be extremely frustrating, but airlines still have a duty of care to passengers, and must provide clear information about their rights to assistance or a refund,” said Rory Boland, Editor of Which? Travel. “If you are flying with a UK or EU airline, or due to depart from a UK or EU airport with any carrier, you’ll be entitled to food and drink during delays of over two hours for short-haul flights, three hours for medium-haul and four hours for long-haul. If you are stuck overnight, you are entitled to accommodation too.”

Travel insurance also became a hot topic as delays stretched into a second day. Lauren McCormick, public relations manager at Squaremouth, a travel insurance comparison site, advised travelers to keep all documentation related to their delay, including receipts for meals and accommodations, proof from the airline of the delay and the reason, and an updated itinerary. “To be covered under the Travel Delay benefit, your delay typically has to be over three hours and be for a covered reason as outlined in your policy, such as a mechanical breakdown of a common carrier or inclement weather,” McCormick noted. Some policies may also cover missed connections or even allow for trip cancellation if delays exceed 12 hours or if accommodation becomes uninhabitable due to the storm.

Berlin Brandenburg is no stranger to winter weather, but the scale and persistence of this week’s storm caught many off guard. An easyJet plane was photographed at the airport as a de-icing vehicle worked to clear thick ice from the taxiways—an image that quickly became emblematic of the struggles faced by airlines and airport staff. As Reuters reported, the closure was due to “severe ice on taxiways caused by freezing rain,” and the situation remained fluid as crews continued their efforts to restore safe conditions.

For now, the only certainty is uncertainty. With no clear timeline for reopening and the weather refusing to cooperate, travelers and airlines can do little but wait. As the airport spokeswoman told DPA, it was “unclear when flights would resume as the airport was being hit by persistent freezing rain and black ice.”

While southern and western Germany look forward to milder conditions, Berlin and its travelers remain at the mercy of the elements—a stark reminder of nature’s power to disrupt even the best-laid travel plans.