The £5.6bn airport that was built nine years late and made Germany a 'laughing stock'
From weak governance by politicians to bizarre construction mishaps, the airport's journey to completion was nothing short of a national embarrassment.
After nearly a decade of delays, cost overruns, and a myriad of absurd issues, Berlin Brandenburg Airport finally opened its doors in October 2020, turning Germany into a "laughing stock" in the eyes of the world.
The £5.6 billion project, initially slated to be a state-of-the-art transportation hub, became more infamous for its troubles than its achievements.
From weak governance by politicians to bizarre construction mishaps, the airport's journey to completion was nothing short of a national embarrassment. Despite missing at least six deadlines, the opening of the airport was celebrated with a mix of relief and disbelief from the German public.
One of the project's major setbacks was the constantly changing scope, which contributed to the delays and cost escalations.
The laundry list of problems included escalators which were too short, and a smoke extraction system that seemed to defy common sense by attempting to suck smoke downwards.
The absurdity of these issues reached such heights that it even inspired a board game where the objective was to waste as much public money as possible. The financial toll of the mismanaged project is staggering.
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The airport published a need for an additional billion euros up until 2020, with the three years of work from 2018 onwards costing at least €900 million. The total cost of the airport eventually soared to an eye-watering €6.5 billion. By January 13, 2018, the company requested an additional €2.8 billion for extensions until 2030, further exacerbating the fiscal strain.
Engelbert Lütke Daldrup, who served as the chairman of Berlin-Brandenburg Airport since 2017, expressed his embarrassment over the situation.
"Not only Berlin, but by extension the whole of Germany became a laughing stock over this. German engineers like me have felt embarrassed," he said, highlighting the impact on the national reputation of one of the world's industrial powerhouses.