[AMcWhirter]

The latest news from Germany’s media should come as no surprise to readers of this Forum. [DE]

http://mobil.n-tv.de/wirtschaft/BER-droht-offenbar-die-naechste-Blamage-article19970060.html

It’s what a former consultant of BER, Dieter Faulenbach Da Costa, had predicted last year.

BER now unlikely to open before 2019

BER should have opened in 2011. But as we have reported over the years its opening has been postponed over the over again by technical and construction problems.

[capetonianm]

When the Germans screw up, they do it properly!
Zer are no half measures!

[CathayLoyalist2]

….and I wonder how many heads have rolled over this? The paperwork of “derriere protecting” must be as long if not longer than the unused runways!

[travelworld]

From memory, it was on the verge of opening before that was pulled. Whatever did they get wrong? Given this delay you would think they were pulling it all down and starting again..

[Johnnyg]

This report highlighted not only corruption but also doubts about it ever opening.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-36185194

[travelsforfun]

There have been suggestions they might have to do exactly that… There are a number of issues, but main one is believed to be that the fire safety/smoke extraction system, which is innovative, but seemingly non-compliant with German fire regulations. Such a system is an intregral part of the design of the building, so if the reports are accurate, having to pull it down can’t be ruled out.

And, yes, it was all set to open – I did the tour of the new airport in April 2012 and straight afterwards booked flights to use it when it was to open in June – only for the opening to be postponed indefinitely in the intervening weeks. I even have the public guide to the new airport somewhere at home, they were distributing it in the run-up to the opening.

[Alex McWhirter]

Latest planned opening date, announced today, will be October 2020. Original opening date should have been 2012.

https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-germany-airport-berlin/berlins-new-airport-to-finally-open-in-october-2020-idUKKBN1E92CZ

[RaveAroundTheWorld]

I actually had a flight booked due to arrive at BER which was re-directed to Tegel once they decided to pull the plug on the opening….

Cheers,
-Rave

[Tom Otley]

Likewise. I booked several months in advance to Berlin Schönefeld. Some time later I received a later email saying it would be the new airport, then closer to the date of travel another saying it wouldn’t be because of delays.

After landing our easyjet aircraft seemed to do a tour of the gates for the new terminal before heading back across to the Schönefeld side, but perhaps that was a coincidence.

[capetonianm]

Germany’s high-speed rail link blighted by technical problems

Seems the ‘master race’ are not as efficient as they like to think.

[penfold69]

I taxied past the new terminal on a recent trip to Berlin. It was covered in advertisements for SIXT. The position of the air bridge hasn’t helped in the picture, as it looks like it’s the more militant SS SIXT they are advertising.

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