Berlin international airport to open in 2020 after nine-year delay

Flughafen Berlin Brandenburg (FBB) group, the operating company of Berlin's new international airport has announced that it is set to open on October 31, 2020, after an embarrassing nine-year delay owing to structural problems and corruption. Engelbert Luetke-Daldrup, chief executive of the company said in a press conference that the date is set adding that they still have 11 months of hard work to complete the task. Once the airport opens, companies including low-cost carrier EasyJet are to transfer their operations to the new site, known by its international initials BER, on October 31, with a second wave of airlines to follow on November 3-4.

Read: Ex-Germany Coach Takes Charge At Hertha Berlin

Airport inauguration delay costed billions

The project's delay has dented Germany's pride in its engineering prowess and reputation for honesty in business. Planned long back in 1990, the airport's construction began in 2006. Due to be completed by 2011, the airport's inauguration date has been repeatedly pushed back over a series of issues, including fire safety. Later in 2016, a manager was jailed for accepting a bribe. Besides this, the airport's initial budget of 1.7 billion euros ($1.9 billion) has reached 6.5 billion as the delay dragged on.

Read: Ex-Germany Coach Klinsmann Takes Charge At Hertha Berlin

Mixed reactions, speculations on the airport

Responding to the recent announcement, Dietmar Woidke, Brandenburg regional chief hailed it, saying this time it's going to work. On the other hand, Green leader Anton Hofreiter was more cautious and said that the date announced is very ambitious considering the problems that must still be resolved. The airport will replace Berlin's two existing airports -- Schoenefeld and Tegel. Yet Berliners voted to keep Tegel in 2017 arguing that with the growing number of arrivals the new airport may already be too small when it opens. But BER will be at term the capital's only airport, as per officials. 

Read: Photos Of Giant Panda Undergoing CT Scan In Berlin Zoo Goes Viral

Read: Celina Jaitly Shares A Photo Near Berlin Wall Art On 30th Anniversary