The opening of Berlin's new airport, scheduled for June 3, will be delayed due to problems with fire security, German media reported on Tuesday, citing local government sources.
The reports did not give a new opening date for Berlin-Brandenburg airport, which aims initially to attract up to 27 million passengers annually.
The operator of the new airport did not immediately confirm the reports but said it would hold a news conference at 1300 local time (1100 GMT). National carrier Lufthansa also could not immediately confirm the reports.
trekster wrote:They are going to have to let all the airlines know ASAP! I know comms have already been out a while at my airline about the change in airport. Not pod news coupled with the issues with check in etc.
cornish wrote:I guess it will mean increased Germanwings for you to at HAM, Stefan?
Zak wrote:It looks like it, though LH's past strategy with 4U's presence at HAM can be called undecisive at best. A couple of years ago, we had lots of 4U routes from here, making HAM a small 4U hub.
JLAmber wrote:How can 'fire security' problems cause such a massive, and expensive, delay? Presumably some of the buildings have failed fire safety checks?
Zak wrote:The new delay is also bad news for HT-ETNW and others who booked special flights from TXL to BER for that night. The operators of these flights will now have to look for new solutions as well.
JLAmber wrote:Looking at the official TXL site, last flights are still showing as 2nd June. Just the cost of re-allocating flights, altering flight plans, logistical arrangements etc. must be immense, and then there's the cost of delivering a working airport at BER.
helvknight wrote:What about TXL? When does its licence expire?
Zak wrote:JLAmber wrote:How can 'fire security' problems cause such a massive, and expensive, delay? Presumably some of the buildings have failed fire safety checks?
The short answer to this is: it's Berlin.
Thorben wrote:Zak wrote:The short answer to this is: it's Berlin.
Yeah, I think we should be glad then it is not Hamburg, where building a minor project such as a new philharmonic hall is now five years behind schedule and saw a cost expansion from € 77 million to € 476 million.
AndesSMF wrote:From a construction standpoint, failing fire checks can be a really, really serious problem. I want to hear more about this situation before I can even comment more, but at least here in the US, the electrical codes are written by the National Fire Protection Association, FYI.
The airport's technical chief, Manfred Koertgen, said fire safety installations - notably smoke extractors - were in place he doubted that they could be operational, or passengers evacuated safely in an emergency, by the June 3 deadline.
Zak wrote:(I knew my Berlin statement would backfire, and I also knew it would involve the Elbphilharmonie...
AndesSMF wrote:From a construction standpoint, failing fire checks can be a really, really serious problem. I want to hear more about this situation before I can even comment more, but at least here in the US, the electrical codes are written by the National Fire Protection Association, FYI.
Zak wrote:helvknight wrote:What about TXL? When does its licence expire?
By end of 2012. If BER isn't ready by then, then S will seriously HTF.
PlymSpotter wrote:Zak wrote:helvknight wrote:What about TXL? When does its licence expire?
By end of 2012. If BER isn't ready by then, then S will seriously HTF.
I'm curious as to what 'expire' means? Is it when the annual renewal is due, or is it linked to something else? I can't see anything obviously wrong with the airport layout causing it to invalidate a license.
Zak wrote:It looks very much like the license for TXL will have to be extended. Reuters reports that BER will not be able to open before March 2013 (as mentioned in today's NAS Daily).
Thorben wrote:Airlines will have to live with it. Delays in such a big project are not un-common, that's why companies have risk-management divisions.
Zak wrote:Thorben wrote:Airlines will have to live with it. Delays in such a big project are not un-common, that's why companies have risk-management divisions.
Delays are not uncommon, indeed. What is uncommon, however, is annoucning a delay of 9 months, 3 weeks prior to the planned opening. They need almost another year to finish the damn thing, and notice that only when the first aircraft are already on approach?
During my trip to Asia this week, I was mocked by quite a few people about this. Comments ranged from "did you hire Nigerian project planners?" to "you should have had the Turks build the airport, then it would be ready by now". All coming from Asians who have studied in Germany, most of them Berlin.
And airlines will certainly not just have to live with it. They had valid contracts with the airport operators, that now have not been met by the latter. They will make them pay for that. Which wouldn't be so bad, if it wouldn't once again be the tax payer who has to pay the bill.
And Wowereit keeps talking while saying nothing at all.