AG百家乐在线官网

Climate activists stage rally as Berlin's 'laughing stock' airport opens after nine-year delay

The Berlin Brandenburg Airport has been plagued by problems, from faulty fire doors to escalators that were too short.

Climate activists, many dressed as peguins, rallied at the opening of Berlin's new airport on 31/10/20, called Berlin Brandenburg Airport. The opening followed nine years of delays and ballooning costs. Pic Getty
Image: A climate activisit dressed as a penguin hangs from the airport roof
Why you can trust Sky News

Climate activists - many dressed as penguins - rallied at the opening of Berlin's new airport today, following nine years of delays and ballooning costs.

The demonstration against aviation expansion began in the street and ended in the lobby, which the protesters blocked the entrance to.

People dressed as penguins were seen hanging from the building and at least one activist was reportedly detained by police.

Climate activists dressed as penguins block the lobby of the main Terminal of Berlin's airport "Berlin Brandenburg Airport Willy Brandt" (BER) during a protest prior its opening in Schoenefeld, on October 31, 2020. - Passenger flights are to begin landing on October 31, 2020 at Berlin's new international airport, a moment many Germans thought they might never see after years of embarrassing delays and spiralling costs. (Photo by Odd ANDERSEN / AFP) (Photo via Getty Images)
Image: The activists blocked the lobby of the main terminal

The timing of the launch could not be worse, with the global aviation industry facing its deepest ever crisis as a result of the pandemic.

Berlin Brandenburg Willy Brandt Airport (BER) is already looking for extra funds to pay its debts, which may prove to be a challenge given that passenger traffic is not expected to return to normal until 2024.

An initial budget of €2.7bn (£2.4bn) more than doubled to €5.9bn (£5.3bn).

Chief executive Engelbert Luetke Daldrup told reporters last month that the delay in opening had made Berlin and Germany "a laughing stock".

More on Aviation

"We German engineers were ashamed," he added.

He said there will be "no big party".

BER Berlin Brandenburg airport
Image: The project was described as "cursed" by some media outlets

The occasion was supposed to be marked by easyJet conducting a parallel landing alongside a Lufthansa plane, but poor visibility meant they landed separately.

An A320neo aircraft by the UK's largest airline took off from Berlin Tegel towards the new airport.

View of the main terminal at the airport Berlin Brandenburg Willy Brandt" (BER) on October 14, 2020. - Berlin's new airport, which will be the only major airport for the Berlin Brandenburg region, is planned to open on October 31, 2020. The last plane will take off from Tegel Airport in November. (Photo by John MACDOUGALL / AFP) (Photo by JOHN MACDOUGALL/AFP via Getty Images)
Image: BER has four times more space than the small Tegel airport that will close next week

Built on the site of Schoenefeld airport in former East Berlin, the airport was originally intended to be a symbol of a country united after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989.

BER replaces both Schoenefeld and Tegel, another Cold War-era airport in former West Berlin.

An employee walks inside the terminal 1 of the Berlin-Brandenburg Willy-Brandt international Airport (BER) past a picture of former German chancellor Willy Brandt in Schoenefeld near Berlin on October 27, 2020. - Nine years late and eye-wateringly over budget, the Berlin region's new international airport will finally open on October 31, 2020 -- in the middle of a global pandemic that has crippled air travel. (Photo by Michael Kappeler / POOL / AFP) (Photo by MICHAEL KAPPELER/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Image: The airport features a picture of former German Chancellor Willy Brandt

It was named after the former West Germany Chancellor Willy Brandt, who opened relations with the eastern bloc in the early 1970s.

The project's problems began in 2010 when the first opening was delayed because the construction planning company went bankrupt and stricter European safety regulations were introduced.

Fire engines spray water to greet planes of airlines Lufthansa (R) and Easyjet, the first ones to arrive at Berlin's airport "Berlin Brandenburg Airport Willy Brandt", during the opening ceremony, in Schoenefeld, southeast of Berlin, on October 31, 2020. - Passenger flights are to begin landing on October 31, 2020 at Berlin's new international airport, a moment many Germans thought they might never see after years of embarrassing delays and spiralling costs. Pic: Getty
Image: Fire engines spray water to greet the first planes

A fire safety system was found to be defective in 2012, which led to construction being paused.

An inauguration ceremony planned only a few weeks later with Chancellor Angel Merkel was abruptly cancelled.

A whistleblower who had called out corruption on the project was allegedly poisoned in 2016, launching an investigation by prosecutors.

Faulty lighting systems, escalators that were too short, not enough space for lucrative shopping outlets - these were just some of the problems that plagued the project, described as "cursed" by some media outlets.

A climate activist dressed as a penguin holding a banner is hold by police officers as he hangs from the roof of the main Terminal of Berlin's airport "Berlin Brandenburg Airport Willy Brandt" (BER) during a protest prior its opening in Schoenefeld, on October 31, 2020. - Passenger flights are to begin landing on October 31, 2020 at Berlin's new international airport, a moment many Germans thought they might never see after years of embarrassing delays and spiralling costs.
Image: Police were seen above a man dressed as a penguin and holding a banner

The city's former mayor Klaus Wowereit was blamed for the budget overruns and later resigned over what he called his "biggest failure" after 13 years in power.

BER has four times more space than the small Tegel airport that will close next week, which suffered complaints of overcrowding, poor services and bad transport connections.

General view of the terminal 1 at the airport Berlin Brandenburg Willy Brandt (BER) on October 22, 2020. - Berlin's new airport, which will be the only major airport for the Berlin Brandenburg region, is planned to open on October 31, 2020. (Photo by STEFANIE LOOS / AFP) (Photo by STEFANIE LOOS/AFP via Getty Images)
Image: A general view of Terminal 1 at the airport

It sits on top of a new railway station that will take passengers to and from Berlin city centre in minutes.

Ironically, the expanded passenger capacity of 55 million may not be needed for the next few years given the drop in air travel.

The airport's centrepiece is the "flying carpet", a 999-square metre red aluminium sculpture by the Californian artist Pae White which dominates the check-in hall.

SCHOENEFELD, GERMANY - OCTOBER 19: A janitor walks inside the main departures hall at the new Berlin Brandenburg BER airport during the coronavirus pandemic on October 19, 2020 in Schoenefeld, Germany. The new airport is scheduled to begin operation on October 31 despite the current sharp rise in Covid-19 infections. The airport will serve both the city of Berlin and the surrounding region. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)
Image: The airport was originally intended to be a symbol of a country united after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989

At the environmental rally, Stay Grounded campaign spokeswoman Lena Tucana said it was a "real scandal" that the airport has opened "despite the climate crisis".

"We will block this madness with civil disobedience," she said.

"Penguins don't fly and are the coolest birds that stay on the ground."