Berlin finally will inaugurate its new airport on October 31st 2020, replacing Tegel airport.
The final cost was 6 billion euros instead of the 2.5 billion initially projected. The construction of the Berlin Brandenburg Willie Brandt Airport began in 2006 and was originally scheduled to open in 2011.
Previously Berlin was connected to the world by two airports: Tegel, which served the west of the German capital, and Schönefeld, which will now be integrated into the new airport.
Easyjet and Lufthansa will simultaneously make the first landings at the new airport on October 31.
Concerning the coronavirus pandemic, Engelbert Lütke-Daldrup Head of Berlin airports said:
Berlin's airports will need government support of about 260 million euros, and only about 10 million passengers are expected in 2020, compared to 36 million last year.
Engelbert Lütke-Daldrup appealed for more international landing slots for the new airport, arguing that tourists from more distant markets such as China wanted to fly directly to the German capital, rather than arrive via hubs such as Frankfurt and Munich.
Berlin will hold a celebration to thank Tegel when it closes on November 8, said Luetke-Daldrup, noting that it is seen as a symbol of freedom and appreciated for its architecture.
The French occupation forces built Tegel in 1948 during the Berlin Airlift, when the Western Allies sent supplies to West Berlin, after Soviet forces cut off road and rail transportation. It began commercial operations in 1960.
