The parking fees at airports have always been expensive, especially in Europe where the cost of living is high. Recently, there have been reports that a car was abandoned at Berlin Airport in Germany for a year, resulting in parking fees exceeding 200,000 US dollars.
According to the German newspaper “The Munich Eye,” a Volkswagen Golf sedan was parked at Berlin Brandenburg Airport for over a year, accumulating parking fees of over 200,000 euros (207,233 dollars), but the owner remains unknown.
Based on the airport’s parking fee structure, the first 10 minutes are free, with a charge of 23 euros (23.5 dollars) per hour thereafter, and 552 euros (565 dollars) per day. Since January 2024, the grey car has occupied a parking space in the airport’s short-term parking lot, accumulating such a staggering amount of parking fees.
It is currently unclear whether the airport authorities are aware of the car being parked at the airport for such a long time, but it is certain that the airport management, the company managing the parking lot, the local police, and the regional office have all denied responsibility for the incident.
Reports indicate that the car was parked in a prime location right in front of the terminal building, and it appeared to be in perfect condition.
Official towing services removed the vehicle on the morning of January 28, but the owner’s identity remains unknown. Due to discrepancies between the license plate under investigation and the actual vehicle model, some speculate that the car may have been stolen.
This incident has raised concerns about the enforcement and responsibility of airport parking. People are questioning how such a management oversight allowed a vehicle to accumulate such a huge amount of fees without any action being taken.
It is currently uncertain whether the owner, if found, will be held accountable for the unpaid fees.