Flights slowly resume at Berlin airport as ice disrupts travel

Flights are gradually resuming at Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER), a spokeswoman said on Thursday afternoon, after ice disrupted travel.

"Things are slowly, slowly getting back to normal," she said, adding that the first plane was able to depart in the late morning after a long delay.

Due to rapidly freezing rain, it was initially impossible to de-ice the planes in the morning, halting all departures from the airport in the German capital.

The BER spokeswoman asked for continued patience from passengers, stressing that the airport is not yet back to normal operations.

She said delays and cancellations throughout the day are to be expected because the thick layer of ice on the aircraft means de-icing takes twice as long as usual - up to 60 minutes per plane.

The disruptions were affecting departures only, with incoming flights still able to land, the spokeswoman said earlier on Thursday.

Passengers are advised to check the status of their flights with their airlines.

The German Weather Service (DWD) warned of a high risk of hazardous icy conditions in Berlin due to freezing rain and ice.