Berlin’s Brandenburg airport: opportunity in a long haul vacuum

Following the opening of the Istanbul New Airport at the end of Oct-2018, eyes will inevitably turn to the delayed opening of the Willy Brandt Berlin Brandenburg International (BBI) airport, now scheduled for Oct-2020 to be at full capacity.

Much has been made of the delay and the reasons for it, but this report is concerned with the state of the business at the two existing Berlin airports as preparations for operational transfer begin.

Despite being a hugely significant capital city, Berlin mainly hosts 'low-cost' airlines, and passenger traffic is quite low compared to other European capital cities. Lufthansa's longstanding commitment to Frankfurt and Munich does not help.

What Berlin needs is a boost, and the much-anticipated opening of the new airport may provide one in itself.