BER Opening delayed ...TXL may get a few months more ...

Discussion in 'Miles & More | Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian/Partners' started by psollitt, May 8, 2012.

    • Original Member

    psollitt Gold Member

    jetsetter likes this.
    • Original Member

    Albert Silver Member

    I am supposed to fly to Berlin in July...wonder if I'll still be flying into TXL.
    • Original Member

    jetsetter Silver Member

    Glad to hear TXL will still have more life in it :) I will miss that airport when its gone.
    • Original Member

    jetsetter Silver Member

    The article says it's unclear when the opening would be but the reference has been made to August or September.
    • Original Member

    Rejuvenated Gold Member

    Lufthansa plans to seek large compensation payments from airport operators as the delayed opening of a Berlin's new Brandenburg airport may inflict unforeseen costs on the airline, Die Welt reported, citing executive board member Carsten Spohr.
    http://news.airwise.com/story/view/1336993138.html
    • Original Member

    Seacarl Gold Member

    You will definitely be flying into TXL. While a new date hasn't been announced yet, the date range being discussed for the revised opening is Oct 2012 to March 2013.

    It sounds like it will be developing into a major scandal. While the initial reports blamed the fire safety system, it seems that virtually every major component of construction was significantly behind schedule. The smart money seems to be saying March 2013 will be the new date.
    • Original Member

    Albert Silver Member

    My return flight currently claims that it's leaving from BER...I sense that this won't happen.
    • Original Member

    Seacarl Gold Member

    Today's newspapers (in German) report that the TUV issued a warning in February that the fire safety system could not be completed by the June 3 opening date, and that the McKinsey consulting firm issued a letter in March stating that in their opinion the airport would be unable to open in time.

    But airport management didn't fess up to missing the deadline until May 8.

    They also say that AirBerlin and Lufthansa had already been filling their fuel tanks and building the spare parts warehouses at BER, and will now be trucking fuel and parts back to Tegel.

    Insiders predict an opening in 2013, unless political pressure causes another wishful thinking date to be selected. Pointedly there was also a picture of the new international terminal in Atlanta, with the sarcastic comment that this project was completed on time.

    Major egg on the faces of Berlin airport leadership

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