Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) was forced to suspend all take-offs and landings late on 6 February after sheets of black ice and freezing rain made runways and taxiways unusable. Ground crews spent the night spraying de-icing chemicals, but the operator confirmed on Friday morning that “no safe operations are possible until further notice.” (amp.dw.com)
Roughly 170 flights—including multiple Lufthansa, British Airways and easyJet rotations—were cancelled within 24 hours, leaving several thousand passengers stranded in the German capital. Rail links between Berlin and Hanover were also disrupted as the weather front moved across northern Germany, compounding the travel chaos for business travellers who hoped to re-route by train. (thesun.co.uk)
![Berlin’s BER Airport Shuts Down After Ice Storm, Hundreds of Flights Cancelled]()
If your rerouted itinerary suddenly requires a fresh transit visa or clarifies which Schengen stamps you already hold, VisaHQ can step in quickly. Their Germany page (https://www.visahq.com/germany/) lets corporate travel coordinators and individual passengers order express visa processing online, check entry rules in real time and receive guidance on mandatory insurance—an ideal safety net when weather chaos forces last-minute changes.
Meteorologists at the German Weather Service (DWD) warn that sub-zero temperatures and further freezing drizzle could persist through the weekend, meaning the closure could stretch into 8 February. Airlines have issued waivers allowing free re-booking, but corporate travel managers are scrambling to find hotel rooms and alternative routings for assignees due to a city-wide spike in demand. (amp.dw.com)
For global mobility teams the disruption is a reminder to maintain real-time visibility of travellers and to ensure that assignees carry Schengen-compliant insurance that covers “extraordinary weather.” Employees transiting BER for connecting flights should be re-routed via Frankfurt, Munich or Copenhagen where conditions are normal. When operations resume, expect long queues for re-bookings and security as backlogs are cleared.
Roughly 170 flights—including multiple Lufthansa, British Airways and easyJet rotations—were cancelled within 24 hours, leaving several thousand passengers stranded in the German capital. Rail links between Berlin and Hanover were also disrupted as the weather front moved across northern Germany, compounding the travel chaos for business travellers who hoped to re-route by train. (thesun.co.uk)
If your rerouted itinerary suddenly requires a fresh transit visa or clarifies which Schengen stamps you already hold, VisaHQ can step in quickly. Their Germany page (https://www.visahq.com/germany/) lets corporate travel coordinators and individual passengers order express visa processing online, check entry rules in real time and receive guidance on mandatory insurance—an ideal safety net when weather chaos forces last-minute changes.
Meteorologists at the German Weather Service (DWD) warn that sub-zero temperatures and further freezing drizzle could persist through the weekend, meaning the closure could stretch into 8 February. Airlines have issued waivers allowing free re-booking, but corporate travel managers are scrambling to find hotel rooms and alternative routings for assignees due to a city-wide spike in demand. (amp.dw.com)
For global mobility teams the disruption is a reminder to maintain real-time visibility of travellers and to ensure that assignees carry Schengen-compliant insurance that covers “extraordinary weather.” Employees transiting BER for connecting flights should be re-routed via Frankfurt, Munich or Copenhagen where conditions are normal. When operations resume, expect long queues for re-bookings and security as backlogs are cleared.
