News

Berlin airport delayed until October 2013

4 Sep 2012 by BusinessTraveller

It’s official. Berlin’s new airport has been delayed until October 2013.

As we predicted recently (see online news August 16), the opening of Berlin’s new Brandenburg airport (BER) has been postponed yet again.

Readers will remember that BER was supposed to have opened in June. But a last minute hitch with the fire safety systems forced the authorities to delay the opening until March of next year.

But just today according to the local English language media thelocal.de even that date cannot be met.

The Brandenburg state premier Matthias Platzeck has just confirmed a new opening date of late October 2013. That date would presumably coincide with the airlines’ winter schedules.

It is bad news for airlines, passengers and the various businesses and concessions who have set-up shop in and around the new and deserted BER terminal.

Airlines had expanded their schedules thinking that BER would open in time for this summer. So now they must continue to squeeze their extra flights into a terribly busy Tegel (Berlin’s main airport who was due to shut down last June) for another year while passengers must put up that airport’s overcrowded and inadequate facilities.

Shops and catering outlets stand empty in BER’s terminal and the brand new Deutsche Bahn (DB) station and tracks remain unused.

Meanwhile the new and first class Steigenberger Airport Hotel at BER (which was ready for business last month) continues to stand empty.

Let’s hope for no further delays.

Report by Alex McWhirter

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