Berlin’s new airport, if it can be called that, could open at the end of October following its approval by the building authority. Completed nine years late at triple the original cost, the story of its development makes for a highly un-German narrative. The daily Suddeutsche Zeitung reports on this breakthrough, but laments the endless planning errors and snafus that led to it, including escalators that were too short, lights that wouldn’t turn off and mistakenly numbered rooms. But SN writes that the issue of fire protection led to the biggest delays because of improperly installed electrical systems and wiring. Tearing them out and rewiring the airport added years to the schedule and billions to the budget. Trial operation of the main terminal is set to begin while fit-outs are completed inside. By July, volunteers will be filling the building to test the check-in systems
