Oct. 27—BERLIN — Standing on the grounds of Berlin's long-awaited new airport, Engelbert Luetke Daldrup has a broad smile on his face.
"We are all a bit euphoric now because after years of hard work, very detailed work, our goal is within reach. We really do have difficult years behind us," the head of Berlin Brandenburg Airport tells reporters.
Coming in nine years behind schedule and at a price of 5.96 billion euros (7.04 billion dollars) — almost three times the original budget in 2006 — the German capital's new international travel hub, which is due to finally open on October 31, has not been without controversy.
From issues with the building's sprinkler system to automatic doors with an apparent mind of their own, myriad construction problems at the airport in previous years dragged out the duration of the project and became the butt of jokes among Berliners.
Meanwhile, costs rose as passenger demand outgrew the as-yet unopened building and forced extensions to construction plans once they were already under way.
German taxpayers alone forked out an eye-watering 2.7 billion euros for the project.
Now, with just days to go until launch, airport staff are milling around the sparkling entrance hall of Terminal 1, staff at the airport shops are putting the finishing touches on displays, and only a few pieces of heavy machinery remain on the airport's polished floor.
The airport took a small step towards launching on Sunday, when Schoenefeld Airport — or SXF — was rebranded as the hub's Terminal 5 and given a new three-letter code, BER, which it shares with the new building.
Both are located on the south-eastern outskirts of Berlin, in the rural state of Brandenburg, and connected by a short train journey. Tegel Airport, located in the city's north-west, is set to close on November 8, with operations shifting completely to the other two locations.
The entire project is a much-needed overhaul for Berlin's ageing and stretched air transport infrastructure, which was bursting at the seems — at least until the coronavirus pandemic hit.
"The entire aviation industry — we can say globally — is in the midst of the most severe crisis since World War II," Luetke Daldrup says.
As a result, just 20 per cent of the 100,000 flyers who usually travel via Berlin each day are currently passing through the city's airports. And that number could drop even further.
"We are experiencing declining passenger numbers again in autumn with the worsening of the coronavirus pandemic. We are facing a very difficult winter," the airport boss says.
He is holding out for a vaccine, hopefully early next year, and believes that people are longing to travel again as soon as the situation allows.
Nothing beats a holidaymaker feeling the sand between her toes, or families reuniting at the arrivals lounge. "A digital holiday isn't a holiday," he says.
The low passenger numbers could also hit retailers currently setting up shop in the new terminal, and red sale signs are already being erected at duty-free days before the first customers arrive.
According to the operators' current projections, which are subject to change due to current economic uncertainty, it will be another three to four years before business returns to normal.
BER's Terminal 2, construction of which was completed only recently, will remain closed for now due to the collapse in demand. That building is tentatively scheduled to open early next year.
With all three terminals open, BER will have capacity for over 40 million passengers annually, which may seem ambitious given the current downturn. Last year, a record 36 million people flew via the old Tegel and Schoenefeld airports.
Schoenefeld — or Terminal 5 — is set to close at the end of the decade, once the capacity of BER is extended. But a planned Terminal 3 has been put on ice indefinitely.
Despite all the hurdles that the pandemic has placed in the soon-to-be-launched airport's way, there is one factor that makes the opening better timed than ever: space.
With a surface area of 1,470 hectares — about the size of 2,000 football pitches — the German capital's revamped airport facilities are four times as large as before, allowing for passengers and staff to keep the required distance under anti-viral hygiene measures.
When the first flights arrive at BER on Saturday, passengers will roll their suitcases along the 20-million-year-old Jurassic-period sand limestone that was used to tile Terminal 1's floors, perhaps putting BER's odyssey of setbacks and struggles into perspective.
Berlin mayor Michael Mueller is confident that all will be forgiven: "Once people experience the airport, how it functions, the painful history of its construction will soon be forgotten."
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