Press release

BER prepared for increased number of passengers 
EU financial assistance decision creates planning certainty

In its first meeting in 2022, the supervisory board of the airport company discussed preparations for the expected air traffic recovery and the company’s medium and long-term financial development. It also discussed the effect the war in Ukraine is having on air traffic and what the company can do to help the shareholders, the states of Berlin and Brandenburg, to accommodate war refugees.

At the start of the supervisory board meeting, Andreas Igel, Mayor of  Ludwigsfelde, and Oliver Igel, District Mayor of Treptow-Köpenick, presented the “Joint structural concept for the Berlin-Brandenburg airport region”. The concept, developed on behalf of the “Berlin Brandenburg Airport Dialogue Forum” aims to sustainably develop the region. The two mayors emphasised that the future development of the airport region and BER are directly related.

The management then reported to the supervisory board on the status of the terminal 1 optimisations. The more than 20 projects presented, which will mainly be completed in 2022, improve the operative processes and thus largely serve to increase quality of service for passengers, directly or indirectly. 

Regarding the expected development in air traffic, the executive management exchanged that all major airlines are recording increasing flight bookings at BER and continue to assume a major catch-up effect on holiday and business trips cancelled due to the pandemic. Around 60,000 passengers a day are expected for the Easter holidays, around 20 percent of which in the new terminal 2. Resumption of the long-haul connection to Newark (New York) on 28 March and the new connection to Washington from 27 May were also presented. 

In addition to the normal financial reporting, the management also reported on the EU financial assistance procedure, which ended successfully at the beginning of February and which enables the shareholders to support FBB with around 1.7 billion euros. As the financial assistance compensates for the corona-related losses, they are an important part of the partial debt relief, with which FBB wants to make itself economically independent again by 2026, provided traffic recovers correspondingly.

Aletta von Massenbach, CEO of Flughafen Berlin Brandenburg GmbH: “Together with all its partners at the airport, FBB has prepared well for rising passenger numbers. Now we are looking forward to welcoming passengers also at Terminal 2 from the end of March and to flying from BER to the USA for the first time. Even though the financial situation continues to be strained, we have made important progress on the road to consolidation. We must continue on this path."

Jörg Simon, Chairman of the Flughafen Berlin Brandenburg GmbH Supervisory Board: “The war in Ukraine and accommodating and taking care of war refugees poses a major challenge for our shareholders. That was also clearly noticeable in the supervisory board meeting. 

The positive conclusion of the EU financial assistance procedure was expressly welcomed by the Supervisory Board. Now the shareholders can provide the funds the company needs to overcome the economic losses from the pandemic."