The BER debacle continues

[OZDUCK]

I believe it when it really opens. Too many delays yet. It is just a national disgrace.

There have been quite a few "fails" in major construction work in Germany over the last few years. For example the Hamburg Elbphilharmonie concert hall - 700 Million Euro over budget and finished six years behind schedule. At least it is apparently now a superb venue.

Then there is the Stuttgart 21 rail construction. It is now expected to be finished 8 years behind schedule and a mere 3.5 Billion Euros over budget. And as usual, it seems to be the involvement of politicians that cause the problems. Of course, very few countries can afford to cast the first stone.

Stuttgart 21 - Germany's other engineering fiasco – DW – 12/13/2017

Everyone in Germany has heard the jokes and seen the social media memes about Berlin's BER airport. But the Stuttgart 21 railway project has also developed into a logistical nightmare — and a sinkhole for public money.

www.dw.com

 

[Mattg]

I was in Berlin last week and managed to get my hands on the BER airport board game.



Here are the contents of the box:


The lady in the shop said she had already played it and that it’s a hilarious game. We also joked about the new opening date that was announced last week. Her opinion - no way it will happen!

The basic goal of the game is to burn as many taxpayer dollars as possible during the construction of the 8 airport components (2 runways, 3 terminals, 1 carpark, 1 apron and 1 fire department). Along the way you pick up cards with instructions like “1063 trees need to be immediately chopped down and then re-planted! Burn €10 million”, or “the escalators are too short and passengers have to schlep their suitcases up 3 extra steps. Build mobile ramps for particularly heavy suitcases and burn €20 million.”

 

[Jacques Vert]

I hope they bring out an English language version.

 

[Berlin]

Maybe light at the end of the (long, long) tunnel

Berlin airport October 2020 opening “on schedule” – Business Traveller

The much-delayed airport was originally scheduled to open in 2011…

www.businesstraveller.com

As an ex-local: I will only believe it once I see it. Plus, I like good old Tegel despite all its downfalls. Its proximity to the city is something even the newest fanciest airport in Schonefeld will never make up for. And that's if we got a new fancy one- realistically, we can rather expect an airport that looks like from the early 2000s. Because it is

 

[Mattg]

S7 Airlines has started selling tickets to Berlin Brandenburg Airport from 8 November 2020, which is when the airport says it will start full operations.

 

[AIRwin]

S7 Airlines has started selling tickets to Berlin Brandenburg Airport from 8 November 2020, which is when the airport says it will start full operations.

View attachment 199856

Fares jump from €59 to €418 with the move...

 

[Berlin]

Fares jump from €59 to €418 with the move...

And will most likely land in Tegel or Schönefeld anyway

 

[Himeno]

And will most likely land in Tegel or Schönefeld anyway

At least Schönefeld is the same airfield as BER?

 

[Berlin]

At least Schönefeld is the same airfield as BER?

Yep. But unfortunately less convenient than Tegel and not exactly of “the newest standard”.

It’s a Soviet-area turned LCC airport in essence. And fine for that but certainly not a ‘proper’ International airport. But neither is TXL

 

[Spongbob]

Das ist gut zu wissen.

 

[Jmrocky]

There have been quite a few "fails" in major construction work in Germany over the last few years. For example the Hamburg Elbphilharmonie concert hall - 700 Million Euro over budget and finished six years behind schedule. At least it is apparently now a superb venue.

Then there is the Stuttgart 21 rail construction. It is now expected to be finished 8 years behind schedule and a mere 3.5 Billion Euros over budget. And as usual, it seems to be the involvement of politicians that cause the problems. Of course, very few countries can afford to cast the first stone.

Stuttgart 21 - Germany's other engineering fiasco – DW – 12/13/2017

Everyone in Germany has heard the jokes and seen the social media memes about Berlin's BER airport. But the Stuttgart 21 railway project has also developed into a logistical nightmare — and a sinkhole for public money.

www.dw.com

The old man (born in Germany, still catches up with German news services) tells me that it's widely reported there is a shortage of skilled construction workers (professionals and trades) in Germany at the moment. Makes sense considering the history with Brandenburg, I had a flight 8 years ago that was scheduled there from FCO and went to Schonefeld instead

 

[daft009]

My German friends in Berlin aren't holding their breath about the opening date this October

 

[Berlin]

My German friends in Berlin aren't holding their breath about the opening date this October

Mine neither. But then again, Berliners are known as a rather cynical bunch so we’ll only believe it once we see it!

 

[Mattg]

BER is now looking for 20,000 volunteers to test out the airport in 3 trial runs during April, June and October.

Berlin Brandenburg International Airport trial calls for 20,000 volunteers

The trial is part of Berlin Brandenburg Airport's efforts to ensure that it remains on schedule to open in October 2020, following multiple delays.

www.internationalairportreview.com

 

[Cryptarcadian]

I'd love to go and volunteer, but it'd just be too embarrassing to get to Berlin. I still remember flying out of TXL 6 years ago and saying to my partner: "Have a good look around this donut, because this is the last time we ever fly through here!"

 

[Himeno]

I'd love to go and volunteer, but it'd just be too embarrassing to get to Berlin. I still remember flying out of TXL 6 years ago and saying to my partner: "Have a good look around this donut, because this is the last time we ever fly through here!"

Fly to Hamburg and get the train to Berlin?
Or just fly into SXF.

 

[JessicaTam]

An update from Loyalty Lobby: Berlin's Infamous BER Airport Is Finally Set To Open On 31st October 2020, Lufthansa Group Schedules First Flights

It’s really seems to be happening this time: After 14 years of construction and failures, Germany’s most embarrassing construction project Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) is finally scheduled to open on October 31, 2020.

 

[Mattg]

An update from Loyalty Lobby: Berlin's Infamous BER Airport Is Finally Set To Open On 31st October 2020, Lufthansa Group Schedules First Flights

They still haven't done any of the trial runs, though. There's still time for the project to be delayed (again)!

 

[SeaWolf]

I had a booking with Swiss to depart from BER back in 2012! I left from TXL.
How time flies...

 

[Mattg]

Guess what?

The 31 October 2020 opening date for BER has been cancelled due to coronavirus! (Apparently some of the construction/auditing staff caught it, so they've had to leave the building site.)

Coronavirus in der Hauptstadt: Brandenburg verzichtet auf eigene Corona-Immunitätsstudie

Corona-Inzidenz in Berlin steigt stark an + Lage in Brandenburger Kliniken weiter angespannt + Der Blog zum Coronavirus in der Hauptstadtregion.

www.tagesspiegel.de