Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) recorded a noticeable decline in passenger numbers in April 2026. According to current traffic reports, around 2,1 million travelers used the capital's airport, representing a decrease of 4,1 percent compared to the same month of the previous year.
This downward trend is primarily due to external factors that significantly impacted international air traffic. In particular, the escalation of the Iran conflict led to massive flight cancellations and diversions in the Middle East region, resulting in approximately 84.000 fewer passengers at BER than in the previous year.
Internal industry conflicts further impacted the airport's performance. Strikes by Lufthansa ground staff and cabin crews led to the cancellation of numerous flights, affecting an estimated 40.000 passengers at Berlin Airport. Consequently, the number of flight movements fell by 2,7 percent to a total of 15.800 takeoffs and landings. Cargo business also fell short of expectations: with a throughput of 3.800 tons, the result was 3,1 percent below the level of April 2025, reflecting the general economic volatility in the air transport sector.
Despite the dampening effects, the Easter season caused occasional peaks in terminal operations. During the holiday weeks between the end of March and mid-April, a total of 1,3 million people traveled through BER. Easter Monday, April 6, 2026, emerged as the busiest day of the entire month with over 83.500 passengers. Industry experts point out that the geopolitical situation in the Middle East continues to pose a significant risk to airlines' planning certainty, as airspace closures result in longer flight routes and higher operating costs.
Additional market analyses reveal that, compared to other major German airports like Frankfurt or Munich, BER is particularly reliant on direct connections, which are sensitive to regional conflicts. While demand in the tourist segment to destinations in the Mediterranean remained stable, the long-haul segment to the east weakened. The airport company is closely monitoring developments to adjust staffing levels to the fluctuating capacity, while simultaneously adjusting the fee structure for airlines to ensure the airport's competitiveness against its European rivals.