BER CEO: Inland flights remain a key topic - BER Airport Sees Passenger Numbers Plummet, Posts €134M Loss in 2024
Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) handled around 25.5 million passengers in 2024, a significant drop from the 35.6 million in 2019, with domestic flights plummeting by 5.5 million. Despite opening five years ago, BER continues to rely on shareholder support to cover its construction costs.
Before the pandemic, in 2019, Berlin's Tegel and Schönefeld airports, which merged to form BER, served a combined total of over 35.6 million passengers. Fast forward to 2024, BER handled around 25.5 million passengers, with only about 2.9 million using the airport for domestic flights. This marks a substantial decrease from the 5.5 million domestic passengers in 2019.
BER's CEO, Aletta von Massenbach, stresses the importance of domestic air connections. However, the airport operator, FBB, posted a net loss of over €134 million last year, highlighting the challenges faced by the airport. Although BER's day-to-day operations are profitable, the airport must still recoup the high costs of its construction, which were plagued by years of delays and soaring expenses.
BER remains dependent on financial support from its shareholders—the federal government and the states of Berlin and Brandenburg—as it works towards achieving self-sufficiency. The airport's future relies on a steady increase in passenger numbers and the successful management of its ongoing financial challenges.
