For the second consecutive day, Berlin-Brandenburg Airport (BER) suspended all departures and arrivals on 6 February 2026 after freezing rain coated runways and boarding ramps with black ice. While the closure is a German domestic issue, its effects are immediately felt in western Poland: BER is the nearest major hub for businesses in Szczecin, Zielona Góra and Wrocław, and LOT Polish Airlines codeshares several daily services to Warsaw that feed its long-haul network. (euronews.com)
Transport consultants estimate that nearly 12 % of Poland-originating business travellers to Asia and North America routinely drive across the border to catch intercontinental flights at BER because of wider carrier choice and lower fares. Those passengers now face lengthier detours to Poznań, Wrocław or Warsaw—and in many cases missed connections further afield. German rail operator Deutsche Bahn also cancelled ICE services on the Berlin–Frankfurt-(Oder)–Poznań corridor, compounding the disruption. (thesun.co.uk)
Under EU Regulation 261/2004, travellers whose flights are cancelled for weather receive care (meals, accommodation) but not monetary compensation; however, Polish corporates with tight project deadlines should activate contingency clauses in their travel policies. Immigration processing at Polish land crossings with Germany has slowed as well, with officers reporting a surge in private vehicles returning to Poland to re-book flights domestically.
![Berlin airport ice shutdown ripples into Polish travel plans]()
Should last-minute rerouting compel passengers to transit non-Schengen hubs—or require fresh documentation for posted staff—VisaHQ’s Poland portal (https://www.visahq.com/poland/) can expedite e-visas, clarify entry rules and coordinate courier services, helping corporate travel teams stay compliant even when winter weather upends original itineraries.
Companies with posted workers shuttling between Berlin and Polish production sites—common in the automotive and IT-services sectors—should prepare for at least 48 hours of disruption. Travel managers are advised to: 1) re-route via Poznań–Ławica or Warsaw-Chopin; 2) secure hotel blocks in Poznań and Wrocław, where capacity remains; and 3) remind staff that road conditions on the A2 and S3 motorways remain hazardous due to the same freezing rain band.
Meteorologists warn that sub-zero drizzle may persist through Saturday morning, meaning further flight cancellations are possible. Polish insurers report a spike in enquiries about “cancel for any reason” add-ons, suggesting that winter-weather risk is climbing the corporate agenda for 2026.
Transport consultants estimate that nearly 12 % of Poland-originating business travellers to Asia and North America routinely drive across the border to catch intercontinental flights at BER because of wider carrier choice and lower fares. Those passengers now face lengthier detours to Poznań, Wrocław or Warsaw—and in many cases missed connections further afield. German rail operator Deutsche Bahn also cancelled ICE services on the Berlin–Frankfurt-(Oder)–Poznań corridor, compounding the disruption. (thesun.co.uk)
Under EU Regulation 261/2004, travellers whose flights are cancelled for weather receive care (meals, accommodation) but not monetary compensation; however, Polish corporates with tight project deadlines should activate contingency clauses in their travel policies. Immigration processing at Polish land crossings with Germany has slowed as well, with officers reporting a surge in private vehicles returning to Poland to re-book flights domestically.
Should last-minute rerouting compel passengers to transit non-Schengen hubs—or require fresh documentation for posted staff—VisaHQ’s Poland portal (https://www.visahq.com/poland/) can expedite e-visas, clarify entry rules and coordinate courier services, helping corporate travel teams stay compliant even when winter weather upends original itineraries.
Companies with posted workers shuttling between Berlin and Polish production sites—common in the automotive and IT-services sectors—should prepare for at least 48 hours of disruption. Travel managers are advised to: 1) re-route via Poznań–Ławica or Warsaw-Chopin; 2) secure hotel blocks in Poznań and Wrocław, where capacity remains; and 3) remind staff that road conditions on the A2 and S3 motorways remain hazardous due to the same freezing rain band.
Meteorologists warn that sub-zero drizzle may persist through Saturday morning, meaning further flight cancellations are possible. Polish insurers report a spike in enquiries about “cancel for any reason” add-ons, suggesting that winter-weather risk is climbing the corporate agenda for 2026.
