Association: Long-haul flights from BER often not economical
The low number of long-haul flights from the capital's BER airport is due to economic reasons, according to the Federal Association of German Airlines. "The demand and therefore the potential to utilize long-haul flights in an economically sensible way is not high enough in the capital region," said Michael Engel, Managing Director of the association, in Potsdam on Monday. From the association's point of view, this aspect is usually neglected in the discussion.
For intercontinental long-haul routes from Germany in particular, only "hub traffic with a mix of local and transfer passengers can guarantee the necessary capacity utilization and broad connectivity," said Engel. This model not only makes economic sense, but also has a clear ecological advantage.
The state governments of Berlin and Brandenburg want to promote more long- and medium-haul connections at BER. "Berlin-Brandenburg Airport should be able to fulfill its function as a hub for eastern Germany," they said in a statement following a cabinet meeting of both governments. According to the Berlin state government, up to six long-haul flights take off from BER every day - not many compared to airports in western Germany.
Flughafengesellschaft Berlin-Brandenburg (FBB) has been trying for years to increase the number of long-haul flights. Last year, the Norwegian low-cost airline Norse Atlantic added connections between Schoenefeld and Los Angeles, Florida and New York to its program, but at least the connections to the West Coast have been cancelled again.
Despite the efforts to increase long-haul flights, the demand for such flights from BER remains low due to economic factors. This situation is also reflected in the diminished air traffic for intercontinental routes, with air traffic control focusing more on hub traffic to maximize capacity utilization and connectivity.
Source: www.dpa.com
