BER Airport - Opening after 14 years of construction

On October 31, the time has finally come: BER Airport will be officially opened. It took around 14 years before the new airport in Berlin-Schönefeld was allowed to open its doors for regular flight operations. The Schönefeld trade association had planned an opening ceremony with 750 guests to mark the occasion. However, due to the high Corona case numbers, this had to be cancelled.

The original opening was planned for 2011

Construction work on the new Berlin airport began in September 2006. Five years later, in November 2011, the opening was planned. But numerous technical deficiencies resulting from faulty construction planning and inadequate construction supervision made this impossible. The trial operation that was scheduled for this time was canceled in mid-2012. It could only be resumed between April and October 2020. Around 24,000 employees and 10,000 extras were involved in the test operation. On a total of 47 test days, nearly 180,000 pieces of baggage were handled on a test basis and 54,000 bookings for 2,350 flights were processed. Following the successful test operation, the Joint Higher Aviation Authority Berlin-Brandenburg finally issued the official operating permit for BER Airport on October 01, 2020.

Party zur Eröffnung muss abgesagt werden

To celebrate the opening of Berlin Airport appropriately, the Schönefelder Gewerbeverein (Schönefeld Trade Association) had planned a large gala for October 31 with an extensive show program, fireworks and various celebratory speeches. 650 guests had secured a ticket, and around 100 prominent guests had also been invited. But Corona threw a spanner in the works. After the Chancellor again called for personal contacts to be limited as much as possible, it was sensibly decided to forego the opening ceremony. Although a well thought-out hygiene and security concept had been worked out in advance. Instead, there will be a welcoming ceremony for a small number of guests on a small scale. However, there is no official information about the number of participants so far.

Plenty of space to keep your distance

At the new Berlin airport, they are optimally prepared for the current situation. The airport in Schönefeld offers around four times as much space as the one in Tegel, so there is significantly more room to keep your distance. The check-in counters have also been fitted with glass panes and columns with disinfectant spray are accessible to passengers at various locations. Most of the shop areas, on the other hand, have yet to be built and furnished. If you are planning a flight from Berlin Brandenburg Airport in the near future, we recommend a relaxed journey by car. To find an inexpensive parking space, use our comparison portal  www.ich-parke-billiger.de.