Yet another fail on Berlin’s new airport

Seatbelts fastened? OK. The planners and builders of Berlin’s new airport, which was to have opened in 2011 and won’t open until at least 2020, need more money—€770 million—to finish the long-delayed job.

Here’s the kick-in-the-pants part: About half of the new money is to make payments on construction loans that were due to be paid from airport operating revenues. Except that with the long delays, there are no airport operating revenues, leaving the payments up to the local and state governments and investors.

The new money will bring the airport cost up to over €7 billion, a huge overrun of the original €2 billion cost. The construction has been plagued by bad design, improper fire safety systems, corruption, doors that didn’t fit, a near-collapse of the terminal roof and more.

Meanwhile, city residents voted late last year to override plans to close existing Tegel airport, now the city’s main arrival point. It was to have closed when the  new airport opens, but planners and airlines have pointed out that with expanding traffic to Berlin, both airports will be needed.

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