Berlin’s new airport

Only eight years late Berlin Brandenburg Willy Brandt International Airport (BER) is expected to open on Saturday 31 October.

It replaces the already shut Tempelhof.  Tegel, the current main Berlin airport, will close at some point in the near future.  Schoenefeld, on the same site, the original East German airport, will remain open, a concept bound to cause confusion for travellers.

A real time video of the airport and its facilities reveals a somewhat bleak aspect, a kit airport full of glass and walking, with Selfridges style shops thrown in and plenty of places to eat. 

With Covid-19 dominating airport operations the staff, recruited locally and from Tegel, should have no difficulties in dealing with the passenger numbers expected.  A series of trials are taking place which were planned to use 9,000 locals, but whilst they have happened the numbers appear to be a lot less.  The pandemic is in fact good news for the airport opening with probably less than 25% passengers expected.

www.berlin-airport.de

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