Ryanair has claimed the current night flight ban, in place at Berlin-Brandenburg Airport, is significantly adding to the airport’s carbon emissions.
The airline claimed the ban added 60 tonnes of carbon emissions, in February, alone.
Ryanair has called on the head of the Civil Aviation Authority of Berlin-Brandenburg (LuBB), Carsten Diekmann, to explain why he is allowing thousands of German passengers to continue to suffer “unnecessary and avoidable disruptions from the unreasonably strict night flight ban at Berlin Airport”.
Ryanair added that although this ban is intended to reduce noise pollution, the diversion of flights that could land only a few minutes after the start of the night flight ban ultimately causes more noise than if they were given some flexibility in landing.
A Ryanair spokesperson said: “The strict ban on night flights in Berlin leads to unnecessary disruptions for thousands of German passengers and at the same time increases noise pollution and CO2 emissions.
“Ryanair has no problem with the night flight ban in Berlin, but it is only reasonable to give airlines a certain degree of flexibility to deal with unforeseen events such as the weather and get passengers to their destination as efficiently as possible. In the last month alone, 60 additional tons of CO2 were emitted due to this rigid policy. We call on LuBB CEO Carsten Diekmann to urgently reconsider this outdated restriction and implement a more sensible approach that prioritises passengers and our environment.”
Ryanair said the emissions could have been avoided if these flights had been able to land at Berlin Airport instead of being diverted to Hanover.
