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Domestic flights at BER: emissions polluters compared to trains!
The article highlights the development of domestic flights at BER Airport, CO2 emissions and climate targets for Berlin and Brandenburg in 2025.
Domestic flights at BER: emissions polluters compared to trains!
Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) plays a central role in German air traffic. Currently around 17% of all flights that take off from BER are domestic flights. In comparison, domestic flights in Germany were even 17.7% in 2024, while the share stagnated at 16.9% from January to September 2025. This makes BER one of the three major German airports with the highest proportion of domestic flights, which represents good business for regional connections rbb24 reported.
However, the competition never sleeps. Munich Airport has a similar situation with 17.1% in 2024 and 17.6% from January to September 2025, while Hamburg is at the top with around 20%. In comparison, things look rather poor for Cologne-Bonn with only 10.19%. These numbers also shed light on the current challenges and goals in German air traffic.
A critical look at emissions
The proportion of domestic flights is viewed critically, particularly with regard to the climate goals of cities like Berlin and Brandenburg. The Berlin Senate has set itself the goal of reducing CO2 emissions by at least 70% by 2030 compared to 1990. Brandenburg still has a lot planned with an even more ambitious target of 74%. But the reality is different: CO2 emissions from aviation increased from 1.08 million tons in 2022 to 1.82 million tons in 2023, raising concerns about sustainability.
Domestic flights cause over eleven times as many emissions as long-distance rail transport and almost ten times as many as long-distance buses. Here, German Environmental Aid is calling for an end to subsidies for domestic flights and greater support for rail transport in order to sustainably reform aviation.
The airports in comparison
The domestic German flights at BER mainly depart for Frankfurt, Munich, Düsseldorf, Cologne/Bonn, Stuttgart and Saarbrücken. Some of the connections are good, such as the trains to Frankfurt and Düsseldorf, which can be reached in just 4.5 hours. For a trip to Cologne-Bonn, however, you should expect around 5 hours, while you should plan up to 6 hours to Munich.
The development is not entirely optimal. The number of domestic German passengers at BER fell by almost 65% between 2019 and 2024. Nevertheless, the Berlin economic administration is working intensively to improve the range of medium and long-haul connections in order to attract more travelers.
In summary, it shows that BER Airport is an important hub in German air traffic, but also faces major challenges. While the share of domestic flights remains high, the need to reduce CO2 emissions and promote sustainable transport infrastructure is becoming increasingly urgent. This is the only way we can shape the air traffic of the future.
In addition, there are new developments and approaches in the field of artificial intelligence that could make traveling even more efficient. Projects to optimize flight planning and to improve travel communication rely on innovative technologies. These could even help reduce air traffic in the future, but that remains to be seen. You can find out more about this at Github.