Freezing rain causes flight cancellations and delays across Berlin, Frankfurt, Munich and Düsseldorf

Freezing rain in Germany disrupted air traffic at Berlin Brandenburg, Frankfurt, Munich and Düsseldorf. Berlin halted departures at BER, contributing to 129 cancellations and 396 delays nationwide. easyJet recorded the most cancellations, with additional impacts across Air France, KLM, BA CityFlyer, Brussels Airlines, Swiss Airlines, British Airways and others. Authorities advised passengers to monitor airline channels and avoid crowded terminals. Under European rules, carriers owe care and rerouting or refunds, while compensation is unlikely due to extraordinary weather.

Freezing rain across central Germany has led to widespread flight disruptions at multiple airports, notably Berlin Brandenburg (BER), Frankfurt (FRA), Munich (MUC) and Düsseldorf Airport. Berlin Brandenburg halted all departures after ice formed on aircraft, preventing de-icing. Landings initially continued, but the lack of outbound slots led to cascading disruptions. In Berlin, 116 flights were canceled and 94 delayed.

Frankfurt recorded 5 cancellations and 148 delays. Munich saw 5 cancellations and 99 delays. Düsseldorf reported 3 cancellations and 55 delays. In total, Germany faced 129 cancellations and 396 delays. Authorities indicated that normal operations would resume as weather conditions improve and advised passengers to check official airline websites or mobile apps, as airport display updates may lag.

The impact spans numerous carriers. easyJet reported the highest disruption, with 37 cancellations and 14 delays. Air France and KLM each canceled 9 flights, with KLM also reporting 2 delays. BA CityFlyer and Brussels Airlines each canceled 8 flights. Swiss Airlines logged 7 cancellations and 2 delays, while British Airways had 6 cancellations and 5 delays. Aegean Airlines, SAS and Norwegian carriers each canceled 4 flights, with SAS and the Norwegian carriers reporting no delays. Additional affected operators, each with at least one cancellation or delay, include Lufthansa, Helvetic Airways, Finnair, Vueling Airlines, Pegasus Airlines, Wizz Air Malta, Lufthansa Cityline, United Airlines and Icelandair.

Local authorities and consumer advocates urged travelers to remain in their current accommodations to ease terminal congestion and to follow airline communications for rebooking and status updates. Under European passenger rights rules, airlines must provide rerouting or refunds for cancellations and maintain a duty of care, including meals, refreshments and, when necessary, hotel accommodation and transport. Given the weather conditions, compensation is unlikely as the disruptions appear to be caused by extraordinary circumstances.

Rail services also faced weather-related disruptions, potentially limiting alternative travel options. Passengers should allow extra time and verify any connections before traveling to the airport.