Berlin (dpa) – The construction of a second terminal at the German capital’s chronically delayed Berlin-Brandenburg Airport (BER) has been approved by local planning authorities, the company that runs Berlin’s aviation hubs, FBB, announced Tuesday.
The new terminal is to stand next to the main building and increase the airport’s projected capacity at its opening by 6 million passengers per year, FBB said, raising the number to a total of 28 million.
The second terminal (T2) is part of BER’s long-term “Masterplan 2040,” bringing the airport’s capacity to 40 million passengers a year by 2040, according to FBB.
Preparations for the construction of T2 had already begun, according to a spokesman.
FBB’s supervisory board recently doubled funds set aside for the construction of T2 to 200 million euros (234 million dollars), though the exact cost of the building could be less.
BER is due to be completed by October 2020, according to FBB, though the opening date has already been pushed back six times. It was originally due to begin operations in 2011.
A new commission of inquiry into the scandal surrounding the hopelessly delayed new airport started work early July with the aim of ascertaining the reasons for the long delays and huge cost overruns.
Airport boss Luetke Daldrup said in mid-July that if all went well, the second terminal could open along with the main building, though he declined to offer guarantees it would do so.
