Nov. 1—BERLIN — Hundreds of visitors took the opportunity on Sunday to get a first glimpse at the inside of the German capital's long-delayed airport as the first passenger flights took off.
A long queue formed in front of the ticket counter for the visitor terrace, from which onlookers had a view of the apron and parts of the runways.
Due to the coronavirus restrictions, there was only room for 400 visitors at a time.
The vast majority of visitors to the airport were not travelling, and only a few passengers were to be found in the security area in front of the gates.
Only around 3,000 passengers travelled via BER on the first day of its operation, a spokesperson said.
The first official BER flight, to London Gatwick, took off early in the morning. There were a total of 23 take-offs and landings scheduled for Sunday at the main terminal.
The new airport had welcomed its first passengers on Saturday, after years of delay that had become a source of embarrassment for the German capital. The new terminal opened nine years behind schedule.
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