Berlin Brandenburg Airport: Ber to go into operation in October 2020

Nine years later, billions more expensive than once planned: the supervisory board and management of the Berlin airport agreed on a new opening date.

Berlin Brandenburg Airport: Ber to go into operation in October 2020

After several opening dates, new capital airport BER will now be operational in October 2020. This was said by supervisory board chairman Rainer Bretschneider in Berlin. The inspectors had unanimously and agreeably taken note of proposal by airport chief Engelbert Lütke Daldrup, Bretschneider said.

The airport was supposed to be operational after five years of construction in year 2011. However, all opening dates have been tilted since planning errors, building defects and technical problems have to be worked out. Especially fire protection makes trouble. The planned start-up 2012, which had not been cancelled four weeks before, burst spectacularly.

A new financial plan is to be planned in spring 2018. The cost of airport project has risen from 2 to 6.5 billion euros since start of construction 2006, partly because of significant increase in airports.

The old airport Berlin-Tegel is to close once BER has been operational. In order to gain time for expansion of new airport, however, old Schönefeld terminal should remain temporary. Residents want to prevent this legally. The federal administrative Court in Leipzig confirmed receipt of a corresponding action on Friday.

Chronicle of Breakdowns

Planning for airport had already begun in January 1992. The first groundbreaking ceremony took place in September 2006. In June 2010, opening was postponed for first time, on June 3, 2012. Among reasons was bankruptcy of a planning company. Then opening had to be cancelled due to problems with fire protection system. A subsequent analysis resulted in numerous shortcomings beyond fire protection. When list of defects grew to several tens of thousands, opening was postponed indefinitely. That was in January 2013.

Later, supervisory board decided on a timetable with aim of opening in second half of 2017. But even this appointment could not be held. The insolvency of building equipment supplier Imtech Deutschland came in between. Then re were extensive demands of planning office. There were always new problems on construction site, including doors that could not be controlled, and sprinklers that made it dribbled.

In August 2017, current airport chief Engelbert Lütke Daldrup announced that construction work would be completed by 31 August 2018. It was said that following tests, regulatory approvals and trial operations would probably take about a year.

Date Of Update: 16 December 2017, 12:02
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