Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) has notified airlines that German Air Traffic Control (DFS) will conduct calibration and survey flights over the northern runway from 23:00 on 9 October to 05:00 on 10 October 2026. While the southern runway remains operational, single-runway mode typically reduces hourly capacity by roughly 30 %. The airport operator recommends carriers consolidate late-night arrivals to avoid go-arounds. The DFS survey aircraft will test the upgraded Instrument Landing System (ILS 28L), part of a €74 million modernisation programme aimed at improving low-visibility minima ahead of the winter season. Similar checks in 2024 caused up to 25-minute delays on trans-European red-eye services; this time the airport says impact should be “minimal”. Nevertheless, Eurowings and easyJet have pre-emptively rescheduled eight inbound flights to land before 22:45, and Lufthansa has retimed its Newark service by 35 minutes. Cargo operators are largely unaffected because most freighters use the southern runway. Travellers should monitor airline apps, while mobility managers may need to tweak onward rail bookings for late-arriving staff. The works underscore BER’s push to position itself as a reliable hub after years of construction delays. Once recalibration is certified, both runways will offer CAT IIIb autoland capability, cutting fog-related diversions that have plagued winter operations.
