After years of criticism from conservation groups, Berlin-Brandenburg Airport (BER) is making changes to its glass facades to better protect birds from collisions. By installing special films on the glass fronts of Terminal 1, the capital's airport is setting a visible example of improving its building protection - a measure that has long been called for.
Since its opening in 2020, BER has not only been associated with delays and construction challenges, but also with massive criticism from nature conservation organizations such as NABU and BUND. They have repeatedly accused the airport operators of ignoring the danger to birds that die on the terminal's large glass facades. The transparent glass surfaces represent a barely perceptible barrier for many bird species. There are numerous collisions every year, which usually end in death.
The airport company admits that the glass facades of the terminal met the structural requirements but did not offer sufficient protection against bird strikes. The measures now planned are intended to finally counteract this problem.
Special films as a solution
Starting next week, special films with individual dots will be applied to the entire street-side glass front of Terminal 1. These films are intended to offer the highest possible protection against bird strikes and help the animals to recognize the glass surfaces as an obstacle. According to the airport company, the selection of the films was made in close cooperation with the responsible authorities.
The measure is considered a voluntary initiative and exceeds the minimum construction requirements, which the operators highlight as a positive commitment. However, this is initially only a small part of the total glass facade area, which has led to further calls for more comprehensive investigations and measures.
reactions of nature conservation organizations
Representatives of the BUND praised the airport's initiative as an important first step, but criticized the fact that the measure only affects one fifth of the glass surfaces in Terminal 1. Claudia Wegworth, bird expert at the BUND, called for a comprehensive study of the airport's entire architecture. In addition, the influence of other risk factors such as nighttime light emissions and unsecured light shafts must also be taken into account.
Similar demands are also being made by NABU, which stresses that bird strikes on glass facades are a problem that affects not only airports, but also other modern buildings with large glass surfaces. The installation now planned at BER could serve as a model for similar facilities.
A step in the right direction?
The installation of the foils marks a turning point in the debate about bird protection at BER. Despite the restrictions, the measure is seen as a signal that the operators are prepared to actively respond to criticism and implement improvements.
With the new slides, BER could set an example of how large-scale infrastructure projects can respond more sensitively to challenges. However, the long-term implementation of a comprehensive protection program remains to be seen.
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