Delays and cancellations at Berlin’s airports
09.12.10 13:50The exceptionally dense air traffic network over Europe also means that flight delays and cancellations at individual airports can spread to other airports and affect services there.
“We sincerely regret any disruption to our passengers’ travel plans”, says Ralf Kunkel, Press Officer of Berlin Airports. “We are working flat out with all available manpower to clear the snow and keep the runways clear of ice. Our staff are working around the clock, and this has enabled us to keep both of Berlin’s airports open. Our runways and the aprons have been clear of snow and ready for use at all times.”
As things stand at present (Thursday, 9 December, 2pm) around 200 flights are expected to be cancelled at Berlin’s airports today, many as a result of the closure of other airports due to adverse weather conditions. This is roughly around one third of the scheduled flights.
Bottleneck in the supply of de-icing chemicals
“This is a unique situation in the history of Berlin Airports”, says Kunkel, “and it is very exasperating”. The bottlenecks have resulted in queues of aircraft at the de-icing zones. The number of landings also had to be reduced as a result of this backlog.