Berlin Airports is in buoyant mood as host of this year's World Routes. In June next year the new Berlin Brandenburg Airport, currently the largest construction project in the whole of Germany, will open for traffic and at the same time place the German capital firmly on the international network map. Ahead of last night's Networking Evening on the apron of the new airport, The HUB grabbed a few quick words with Prof Dr Rainer Schwarz, Chief Executive Officer, Berlin Airports.
Q) The new Berlin Brandenburg Airport is scheduled to open in June 2012, just eight months from now. Are you on track?
A) We are on track. The structure of the terminal and the other buildings has already been completed. We are now focused on finishing the interior before our six-month trial runs start in November.
Q) What makes the new airport unique?
A) Berlin is the capital of the third largest economy in the world. The new Berlin Brandenburg Airport will for the first time enable us to concentate all traffic under one roof. We start with a capacity of 27 million passengers which we can double to 45 million if and when necessary. We designed the airport with the passenger in mind, keeping distances short and making it easy for them to find their way around. In fact, BER will be the only German airport where passengers arrive by high-speed train and then arrive in the terminal by elevator within seconds.
Q) Moving an airport is always a challenge, but moving two airports - Tegel and Schoenefeld - into one must require a lot of planning.
A) Absolutely. To my knowledge, it is the first time ever that two airports are being moved to one new airport in just one night, but we are working with highly experienced professionals who have managed 20 airport moves already.
Q) How do you plan to fill the new airport with life?
A) The first few weeks and months will be very interesting. Berlin Brandenburg Airport will open on 3 June 2012, just weeks before the summer holiday peak. Moreover, the Euro 2012 football championship will take place in Poland and Ukraine, and Berlin is the closest major airport to some of the stadiums.
Q) Is BER a hub in the making?
A) Our job is to provide the right infrastructure and create the right conditions for airlines. For the first time, Berlin will have an airport that makes hub traffic a real possibility. What makes us confident is that our home carrier Air Berlin has already built up a hub structure in Tegel. oneworld airlines might also find it more attractive to fly to an airport where one of their members - Air Berlin is set to join the alliance next year - can offer them a feeder network.
Q) How important are long-haul connections as part of your strategy?
A) We already offer a dense European network from Berlin. Long-haul is therefore an important part of our growth strategy. Five years ago we had no long-haul connections at all, today we have twelve.
Q) Where do you see the new airport in ten years time?
A) We want to establish the airport as Germany's number three and in Europe's top 10, and it is well possible that Berlin Brandenburg Airport will be the only oneworld hub in central Europe.
Q) Have you had good discussions at World Routes so far?
A) Very much so. I met representatives from several Asian airlines who are in Berlin for the first time. Having the opportunity to showcase our new airport to the world's aviation community is a great opportunity for us.
Q) BER will be linked to Germany's famous high-speed train network. Will this push the boundaries of your catchment area?
A) Absolutely. Our catchment encompasses around 10 million people who can reach the airport within one hour, but it is growing. For instance, managers at Volkswagen in Wolfsburg 200km West of Berlin will be able to reach Berlin Brandenburg Airport by high-speed train in a bit more than one hour. Moreover, more and more passengers from neighbouring Poland and the regions north and south of the capital are drawn to Berlin thanks to improving road and rail connections.
Q) If you had three wishes for the new airport, what would they be?
A) To have a smooth operning, that we can realise the potential, and that the whole region benefits from this fantastic new airport.
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