The idea of a new, modern airport for Berlin was floated as long ago as 1989. Even back then planners realised that the city would soon outgrow its two modest, Cold-War era airports. Tegel Airport and Schönefeld Airport were both stretched to capacity throughout the 1990s, squeezing almost 30 million visitors per year through their narrow, tired-looking corridors.
In 2006, the city broke ground on a brand new airport: Brandenburg Willy Brandt Airport. It was a project which would swiftly become a civil engineering nightmare.
The project was slated for completion in 2011, but following delays this date was pushed back to 2012. An opening ceremony was planned for this year, but upon discovery of an issue affecting the fire safety system it was cancelled, and the launch pushed back again to 2013. New problems kept emerging: cables were incorrectly installed, check-in desks were insufficient for the expected passenger numbers, doors were incorrectly numbered, and escalators were too short.
As issues were fixed and other issues emerged, the opening date for the new airport was pushed back year upon year, with the budget spiralling out of control. The expected cost of the build had originally been around €2 billion. By 2016 this had ballooned three times over to just under €7 billion, with costs steadily rising.
The sheer amount of time by which the build had been extended began to cause problems. Monitors which had been installed just prior to the original opening date had to be replaced at a cost of almost €500,000, as they had burned out after being left on with no information to display for so long. In 2013 a computer glitch meant that contractors were unable to turn off the lights within the terminal building for almost six months, incurring a massive and needless electricity bill.
A small army continue to work on the airport to this day. At any one time around 500 people are at work there, labouring towards the latest expected opening date of October 2020. There is, among the populace of Berlin, considerable scepticism that this will be met.
The airport remains, as it has for many years, on the cusp of completion. Gleaming corridors, unmanned terminals, screens broadcasting nothing to nobody. Benches sit empty inside unused gates. Luggage carousels sit idle, never having conveyed a single suitcase. Tours run on a regular basis, with guides assuring visitors that all is on track, that one day soon this airport will be more than just an idea. One day soon journeys will begin and end and pivot here.
What actually happens to Brandenburg Willy Brandt Airport, however, remains to be seen.