BERLIN, Feb 6 (Bernama-dpa) -- Take-offs and landings at Berlin's international airport have been temporarily halted due to black ice, a spokeswoman said on Thursday, the German Press Agency (dpa) reported.
"The tarmac is as smooth as glass. There is a danger to life and limb," she said.
It is not clear when operations will resume. But given that in any case a night-time flight ban will soon come into force, a decision on further operations will be made on Friday morning, the spokeswoman said.
There had already been many flight cancellations during the day at Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER), which is located on the southern outskirts of the capital.
At the start of the day, no aircraft were able to take off after freezing rain had encased aeroplanes in ice, meaning it was taking up to an hour to de-ice the aircraft.
The first aircraft took off in the late morning, and the flight schedule was subsequently subject to considerable delays and numerous cancellations.
According to the spokeswoman, 35 of the 180 planned take-offs were cancelled by around midday (1100 GMT), followed by several dozen more.
The German Weather Service (DWD) warned in the evening of the increased risk of black ice in the west and north-west of Brandenburg.
The German capital has been experiencing a weeks-long period of cold weather combined with snow and freezing rain.
--BERNAMA-dpa
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