berlins troubled new airport faces fresh delays
Tuesday 18 February 2025
Last Updated : GMT 05:17:37
Emiratesvoice, emirates voice

Berlin's troubled new airport faces fresh delays

Emiratesvoice, emirates voice

Emiratesvoice, emirates voice Berlin's troubled new airport faces fresh delays

Berlin's new BER airport
Berlin - AFP

German politicians warned Friday of possible further delays to Berlin's troubled new airport project, already five years behind schedule, after an engineering company involved filed for bankruptcy.

Project leaders said they were reviewing the impact of the news that the German division of Dutch group Royal Imtech, that is handling major electrical, ventilation and plumbing work at the site, had filed for bankruptcy Thursday.

The German capital's new international air hub has become a multi-billion-euro planning disaster and a running joke for many Berliners, tarnishing Germany's reputation for engineering prowess, efficiency and punctuality.

Originally set to open in 2012, the BER airport is meant to replace two smaller airports, Tegel and Schoenefeld, vestiges of the city's Cold War division that are now bursting at the seams.

After several delays and budget blow-outs due to serious technical flaws -- especially in the fire safety and smoke extraction system -- officials now hope to open BER in late 2017. But even that date seemed in serious doubt after the latest setback.

"I believe the opening date is in great danger," said the chairman of Berlin's committee of inquiry into the airport fiasco, Martin Delius of the Internet freedom Pirate party, whose concerns were echoed by a far-left Linke party member on the panel.

Delius told Berlin public radio that project leaders should have searched for alternatives to Imtech long ago, adding that building a ventilation system is "not rocket science".

Members of the airport supervisory board voiced "concern" about the Imtech news, said national news agency DPA.

Amid BER's spiralling woes, the giant glass and steel building on the capital's southeastern outskirts has become a growing money pit.

A "ghost train" to the city centre now runs to it empty once a day to prevent the rails from rusting and tunnel walls from gathering mould.

Further troubles may be brewing for the project, which is financed by the federal government, the city-state of Berlin and the Brandenburg region, reported Berlin's Tagesspiegel daily.

Anti-BER resident groups worried about aircraft noise have filed a complaint with the European Commission, it reported, arguing that the "exorbitant and apparently limitless" public funding for the airport breaches competition rules.

Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

berlins troubled new airport faces fresh delays berlins troubled new airport faces fresh delays

 



Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

berlins troubled new airport faces fresh delays berlins troubled new airport faces fresh delays

 



GMT 10:31 2014 Tuesday ,23 December

Mirages of failure: Lebanon cannot wait

GMT 11:03 2018 Tuesday ,23 January

No end to eyesores at Taj Mahal

GMT 10:18 2018 Thursday ,30 August

Iran incapable of closing Hormuz, Bab Al Mandeb

GMT 08:26 2017 Saturday ,13 May

Bahrain weather forecast

GMT 13:34 2017 Thursday ,27 July

Ashwin hails India's rise to top Test ranking

GMT 09:58 2017 Thursday ,16 March

US national football team calls Dempsey, Howard

GMT 13:47 2011 Thursday ,29 December

Festival of colours that heralds the arrival of spring

GMT 17:00 2012 Thursday ,12 July

Bashir: Sudan\'s summer will \'burn\' enemies

GMT 08:11 2015 Wednesday ,04 February

Peaceful contentment lives in present time

GMT 14:33 2012 Sunday ,10 June

Sri Lanka holds mass baby elephant christening

GMT 06:18 2014 Monday ,22 December

Madonna speaks of 'crazy times' after songs leaked

GMT 19:43 2017 Tuesday ,08 August

Khalid bin Hamad meets writer
 
 Emirates Voice Facebook,emirates voice facebook  Emirates Voice Twitter,emirates voice twitter Emirates Voice Rss,emirates voice rss  Emirates Voice Youtube,emirates voice youtube  Emirates Voice Youtube,emirates voice youtube

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

emiratesvoieen emiratesvoiceen emiratesvoiceen emiratesvoiceen
emiratesvoice emiratesvoice emiratesvoice
emiratesvoice
بناية النخيل - رأس النبع _ خلف السفارة الفرنسية _بيروت - لبنان
emiratesvoice, Emiratesvoice, Emiratesvoice