The construction of the new Berlin airport is to be completed by August 2018

Berlin - The construction of the new Berlin airport will be completed by August 2018, the airport operator announced today. The construction of Berlin Brandenburg Airport began in 2006, and according to the original plans, the airport was supposed to be operational by autumn 2011. However, due to various technical issues, the deadline has been postponed multiple times.

The date for the start of the first flights has not yet been announced. The CEO of the new airport, Engelbert Lütke Daldrup, stated that after the completion of the construction, a number of tests will still need to be conducted. However, the operator intends to announce the opening date by the end of this year.

Berlin currently has two airports, Tegel and Schönefeld. The new airport was originally intended to replace both of these airports. However, there are now concerns that it will be too small upon opening. Both airports accommodated 33 million passengers last year, while the capacity of the new airport, which will be named after former West German Chancellor Willy Brandt, is supposed to be 27 million passengers. Schönefeld Airport, located in the southeast, is expected to remain open for several years after the Brandenburg airport opens. Residents of Berlin are expected to decide in a referendum on September 24 whether the Tegel airport in the northwest of the city should also remain open, according to Reuters.