EUROPE - The construction of a new Berlin airport has been delayed again, pushing its delivery back a further two years.
The German capital's mayor has admitted plans for the opening of a new city hub, Brandenburg Airport, are to be delayed until 2014, two years later than previously claimed. Mayor Klaus Wowereit has resigned as head of the supervisory board of the airport. He previously promised the project would be completed in 2007.
The new airport had been planned to take over from the capital’s ageing Tegel and Schonefeld airports. The aim is for it to eventually handle up to 27m passengers a year.
German newspaper Bild says fire safety issues with some of the airport buildings may mean they have to be pulled down and rebuilt. The BBC, however, speculated that the problem is with the baggage handling systems. The cost of the project has risen from an initial €2bn to over €4bn.
Air Berlin,which increased its schedule anticipating the opening of the new airport last June, has announced its chief executive Hartmut Mehdorn is to step down with immediate effect. He is replaced by Wolfgang Prock-Schauer, former head of British carrier BMI. The carrier, Germany’s second largest, made losses of €102m in the first three quarters of last year.
At the end of last year, the supervisory board at Messe Berlin appointed Dr Christian Göke as its next CEO, replacing outgoing CEO Raimund Hosch.
Do you have a news story for EW? Email exhibitionworld@mashmedia.net
