BER Airport Reports Losses Over Half a Billion Euros

Berlin — The Berlin-Brandenburg airport (BER) reported a loss of almost €570 million ($601.2 million) in 2021, its first full year of operation, BER boss Aletta von Massenbach said on Tuesday.

Alongside the loss, the airport, which finally opened in 2020 after much delay, also has a slew of other problems from lengthy check-in and security lines to broken walkways and staff shortages.

About half of the loss was due to external issues such as the general uncertainty within the industry and rising interest rates. But this was "only reassuring to a certain extent," von Massenbach said.

BER still does not earn enough to fully finance its operations, with flights only able to continue thanks to backing from the airport's owners, the federal government and the states of Berlin and Brandenburg.

While it is clear that these problems are likely to continue for some years, the recovery is largely going according to plan and passengers are gradually returning. "In part we are already back to pre-crisis levels," said von Massenbach.

Furthermore, the European Commission approved state aid of €1.7 billion in February, which BER needs to repay debts among other things.

Reviewing the figures, von Massenbach said she expected a positive operating result before interest rates, taxes and deductions (EBITDA) this year.

Turnover is expected to rise to just under €550 million, which would be twice the figure for 2021.

There is also good news for passengers, with eight of the 16 stalled walkways expected to be up and running again before the summer holidays.

Von Massenbach also said she is confident that travellers will not see a return of the travel chaos that many faced during the autumn holiday period and the Christmas season, when passengers were stuck in lines for hours at a time due to COVID-19 checks and staff shortages.

But given the war in Ukraine, the threat of energy embargoes and high energy costs, the question remains as to whether the upward trend in passengers will last.

"What we have to expect in the industry is that there will be an increase in ticket prices," von Massenbach said, adding that usually has an impact on demand.

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