Problems pile up at Brandenburg's Willy Brandt airport

German’s transport minister is setting up a special working group to make sure that Brandenburg’s Willy Brandt airport will open on 17 March 2013.

Its inauguration was postponed from 3 June this year because of difficulties with the fire safety systems.

The working group will also co-ordinate the extended use of Tegel and Schönefeld airports until the new Willy Brandt airport opens next year.

However there are already fears that the extra nine months may not be enough, as a new management construction team has to be appointed after the termination of the previous company’s contract.

Financing also appears to be a problem. Der Spiegel magazine has revealed that airport owners – the federal government and the state governments of Berlin and Brandenburg – had to restructure the financing programme for the airport at the end of last year after losses on risky investments.

It is estimated that the new delays may be costing €15 million a month.