Germany: Brandenburg operator discusses financial aid but opening stays firm

Berlin airports operator FBB is insisting that the new Brandenburg hub will open on time, even if the coronavirus crisis disrupts trial runs prior to the inauguration. The operator says the Oct 31 opening date will be “strictly adhered to”, but it acknowledges that there are aspects of the testing which need consideration in order to maintain the deadline. “It will be possible to cope with reduced or postponed individual trial runs,” it states, given the expected lower-than-forecast traffic volumes. Passenger numbers at its Tegel and Schonefeld airports are currently down by some 75%, it states, and is likely to fall further. As a consequence, FBB says it will be “temporarily dependent” on financial aid, and has discussed the matter with its shareholders. <br/>