Why This Major Airport Took Nearly A Decade To Open And Went Billions Of Dollars Overbudget

Berlin waited decades to have an airport worthy of the newly unified capital, then waited another decade for it to actually open, with a bill that was no joke to German taxpayers. If you've ever felt bad about going a little over your travel budget, at least you can take comfort in knowing you weren't as unfrugal as the Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER), which cost 5 billion euros more than its original estimate, per EuroNews. The airport was called "a running joke" by The Business Times, and that was in 2014, still six years before the airport would finally open. The reasons for its decade-long delay and massive costs amount to a farcical string of disputes and poor planning.

BER was envisioned to be the gateway airport to the city best explored after dark, beginning just a year after Germany's reunification in 1991, per EuroNews. It was set to open in 2011. From the beginning, there were issues, starting with its location — Schönefeld (where, indeed, it stands today), which some warned was too close to the city center, limiting construction space. Up until its planned opening date in 2011, the construction was rushed to get done on time, which only caused further shortcomings.

When 2011 rolled in, well, the airport was still far from ready for business. In 2012, a newly appointed COO counted up to 100,000 faults found across systems, like fire protection, ventilation, wiring, and baggage carousels. In 2016, five years after it was supposed to open, an audit reported that only 57% of the airport was finished, and people were calling the airport "cursed," according to CNN. For all its tribulations, the airport did, finally, open in 2020, albeit with a new slew of problems in its first year, from long security lines to unsanitary bathrooms.

Despite its farcical history and lukewarm opening, BER has come a long way. In 2025, the airport was awarded the "World's Most Improved Airport" by the World Airport Awards, as Routes reported. And in 2026, BER came in 22nd place among the best airports in the world, ranked by Travel and Tour World, beating the international airports in Denver, Hong Kong, and Madrid.

Many passengers who've flown through the airport have noted how breezy it is and lauded its improvement. "[B]etween getting off the train and popping out the other side of security, 9 minutes had [passed]! Gotta acknowledge the vast improvements made to BER," a Reddit user said. One of the major improvements is that, while many airports make you take things like laptops out of your bag at security, BER got technology in 2024 so that you can leave everything in your bag: liquids, laptops, and phones to boot.

Also, despite the hesitation of building the airport at Schönefeld initially, BER's proximity to Berlin Central makes it easy to get into the city. Trains connect directly to the airport and get you to Berlin Central Station in under 30 minutes, giving you more time to explore hidden spots like the underground world of animatronic monsters at Monsterkabinett.