The German federal government needs a “representative government terminal” at Berlin-Brandenburg Airport. No matter what the cost, it just has to be there. The construction of this super VIP check-in facility is being stuck to, according to a query in the Bundestag.

However, similar to the “civil BER”, there are massive construction delays at the government terminal. This should actually have been in operation since 2011, but when it comes to airports in Berlin, everything goes a little bit slower. Most recently, the BER company also pushed for another location because they feared space problems. At first it looked as if the government would forego its representative “swank”, as people joke in Berlin.

Project costs have already tripled

But now they have chosen a different location and insist on the government terminal again. An interim building has been built for around 70 million euros, but that is simply not enough for the federal government. You want a representative building and not a temporary solution ala Tegel-C.

The government is now focusing on the former Schönefeld buildings, which are expected to go offline for one year in mid-February 2021. This could be flattened and the “representative building” erected there. However, it is completely unclear how long the BER company will hold on to Terminal 5.

When the government will erect its luxury building depends on when the BER company will finally vacate the old Schönefeld terminals. In 2019, 344 million euros were planned in the federal budget for the demolition and the new building. The planned construction costs have already tripled since the early 2000s. Construction is now expected to start around 2032 and the opening of the “representative terminal” is now planned for 2035.