Severe freezing rain sweeping across eastern Germany forced Berlin-Brandenburg Airport (BER) to suspend all take-offs and landings for a second day on 6 February, disrupting one of Austria’s busiest short-haul business corridors. Austrian aviation outlet *Austrian Wings* reported that six daily rotations between Vienna and Berlin were on the schedule; the first outbound service (OS 231/232, planned 07:10) was cancelled outright and airlines warned that further flights might be scrubbed at short notice.
The shutdown stranded hundreds of passengers who use the 70-minute hop for government, start-up and life-science ties between the two capitals. Lufthansa Group carriers re-booked travellers via Munich or Frankfurt, while low-cost competitors offered cross-border coach transfers to Dresden and Prague. Vienna Airport advised passengers to monitor flight status and arrive later to avoid terminal crowding.
![Ice Storm Shuts Berlin BER – Vienna Flights Cancelled or at Risk]()
Meteorologists said the rare large-scale "Blitzeis" episode coated runways with a centimetre-thick glaze, making de-icing ineffective. Berlin authorities expect operations to resume gradually on 7 February once temperatures rise above zero.
For mobility managers the episode is a reminder that Central Europe’s increasingly volatile winter weather can upend tight itineraries. Companies with time-critical meetings are urged to build 24-hour buffers into travel policies and verify that tickets qualify for EU261 compensation or lounge access when force-majeure closures hit.
The shutdown stranded hundreds of passengers who use the 70-minute hop for government, start-up and life-science ties between the two capitals. Lufthansa Group carriers re-booked travellers via Munich or Frankfurt, while low-cost competitors offered cross-border coach transfers to Dresden and Prague. Vienna Airport advised passengers to monitor flight status and arrive later to avoid terminal crowding.
Meteorologists said the rare large-scale "Blitzeis" episode coated runways with a centimetre-thick glaze, making de-icing ineffective. Berlin authorities expect operations to resume gradually on 7 February once temperatures rise above zero.
For mobility managers the episode is a reminder that Central Europe’s increasingly volatile winter weather can upend tight itineraries. Companies with time-critical meetings are urged to build 24-hour buffers into travel policies and verify that tickets qualify for EU261 compensation or lounge access when force-majeure closures hit.
Source: Austrian Wings
