Chancellor Merz Blasts Berlin's Airport Policy: 'No Capital Is Treated This Badly'

Chancellor Friedrich Merz addressed business leaders at the Berlin Chamber of Commerce (IHK Berlin) on Tuesday and delivered pointed criticism of the city's airport infrastructure decisions. He stated that no other country in the world treats its capital so badly in terms of airport provision. His argument centred on Berlin having closed four of its six runways without replacement, referring to the shuttering of Tempelhof and Tegel airports, each of which had two runways. Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) now operates with two runways. Merz acknowledged the closures cannot be undone — "that's spilled milk" — but argued Berlin must now be better connected across air, road, and rail, with investment required over many years. He also drew a parallel with nuclear energy, saying Germany had spent 15 to 20 years debating what to close rather than what to build. On air links, Merz noted the federal government had secured expanded traffic rights for airlines from the United Arab Emirates, potentially opening a new Gulf connection for Berlin. However, Emirates CEO Tim Clark said on 21 October that his airline would not be flying to Berlin for the time being; Emirates currently serves Frankfurt, Munich, Düsseldorf, and Hamburg. BER's ownership is split between Berlin and Brandenburg at 37 percent each, with the federal government holding 26 percent.