Berlin Brandenburg’s Terminal 5 to Close Temporarily
The closure takes effect Feb. 23 and is set to last at least one year, moving operations into BER Terminal 1
Berlin Brandenburg Airport’s Terminal 5 is set to close temporarily later this month, according to an announcement from airport authorities. The closure of what was formerly Berlin Schonefeld is due to the fall in passenger numbers caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The airport was renamed BER Terminal 5 when the long-delayed Berlin Brandenburg airport opened in October 2020. However the decision was made to temporarily close the terminal in order to save costs.
The terminal is set to close Feb. 23, with the closure initially lasting for one year. In a statement the airport also revealed that its new Terminal 2, which has been completed and is ready for operations, will also not be opened for the time being.
“The savings from concentrating air traffic to Terminal 1 amount to around €25 million for the year,” the statement read. “As soon as passenger numbers increase again, the handling capacities of Terminal 2 and subsequently Terminal 5 will gradually be reincorporated as is required.”
According to Engelbert Lütke Daldrup, chief executive officer of Flughafen Berlin Brandenburg GmbH, consolidating operations into Terminal 1 will reduce costs and expenses for 2021 by about €25 million ($30 million).
“This year, the airport company must again assume that passenger numbers will remain far below the pre-crisis level. We assume that in 2021 we will be able to handle around ten million passengers safely and comfortable in Terminal 1,” he said.
“Terminal 5 will still be promptly available to us if the need arises. The dormant operation is organized in such a way that Terminal 5 can be up and running again within a few weeks when it is needed again.”
