Delays are a traveler’s worst nightmare, and Berlin’s new airport project appears to be facing yet another one. A German newspaper reports that Berlin Brandenburg Airport, originally scheduled for completion in 2012, may again see its opening pushed back. Airport officials, however, deny the report.
Construction on the airport began in 2006, but bureaucratic hurdles and technical issues have repeatedly delayed progress. The German paper Bild am Sonntag cites a “confidential schedule from the airport’s project management company” that suggests the airport might not be finished until 2018.
Airport management continues to affirm the currently announced target of the second half of 2017, calling that timeline accurate. The project has experienced numerous setbacks and the planned opening date has been revised several times. In response to the report, officials noted that in a complex project where thousands of emails, letters and meeting minutes are generated each day, different assessments can arise.
For travelers and observers, the ongoing uncertainty underscores how large infrastructure projects can be affected by technical, administrative and planning challenges, and why official timelines can change as issues are identified and addressed.