Air Berlin (1991) (Berlin Tegel) chief Thomas Winkelmann has told Die Zeit that if Berlin Tegel airport remains open, his airline would prefer to stay there rather than move to the new Berlin Brandenburg International.
Under current plans, Tegel airport will be closed six months after the opening of the new facility which is being built adjacent to Berlin Schönefeld. However, some residents believe the move is short-sighted, and the capital city needs a second airport. According to the Berlin Airport website, Tegel and Schonefeld served 32.9 million passengers in 2016, while Berlin Brandenburg International will only be able to handle 27 million passengers per year when it opens. The new airport has been beset with continual delays with some believing it may never be completed.
A campaign – "Berlin Braucht Tegel", or "Berlin Needs Tegel" – has secured enough support to launch a referendum, which will be held in September. If successful, it could mean that Tegel stays operational.
"If Tegel remains open, you can make a museum out of the BER," Winkelmann is quoted as saying.
