A seven-minute weather delay forces Ryanair flight to divert; airline calls for flexibility in Berlin night flight ban

Ryanair has once again criticized the rigid enforcement of Berlin Airport’s night flight ban, after flight FR1571 from Vilnius was diverted to Hanover on Wednesday evening due to a mere seven-minute weather-related delay. The airline stated the delay was entirely beyond its control and condemned the LuBB’s (Luftfahrtbehörde Berlin-Brandenburg) refusal to grant a short landing extension at Berlin Airport.

Despite what Ryanair describes as “exceptional circumstances,” the flight was denied permission to land just after the start of the night curfew. As a result, passengers were rerouted to Hanover, then forced to endure a lengthy bus journey back to Berlin. The airline argues that such inflexible decisions continue to create unnecessary disruptions and inconvenience for passengers.

Marcel Pouchain Meyer, Ryanair’s Head of Communications for DACH, called the situation “completely unacceptable,” urging LuBB and Berlin airport authorities to adopt a more reasonable approach for minor delays. He highlighted the inefficiency and environmental impact of redirecting flights over a matter of minutes and called on Carsten Diekmann to work toward a practical solution to preserve Berlin’s competitiveness as a travel hub.