The Irish airline Ryanair has sharply criticized Berlin's air traffic control after the cancellation of the FR177 flight from Berlin to London Stansted. The flight was unable to take off on February 14 because the aircraft was not cleared in time due to long de-icing queues following heavy snowfall. Although the aircraft was ready to take off 45 minutes before the night flight ban began, taxiing to the de-icing area was not permitted. This delayed departure by less than 15 minutes beyond the ban time, and an application for an exemption was rejected.
Ryanair is particularly critical of what it says is the inconsistent application of the night flight regulations at Berlin-Brandenburg Airport. While flight FR177 had to remain on the ground, Condor received an exemption for a long-haul connection to Dubai and took off 26 minutes after the night flight ban began. Ryanair calls this a discriminatory practice that treats European flights more strictly than long-haul flights.
The company is calling on Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing to take measures to review and adapt the regulations. A consistent and fair application of the rules is necessary in order not to unnecessarily affect passengers. Ryanair is calling on affected travelers to contact the minister directly and demand reforms to Berlin's air traffic control.
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