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"Burn borders, not kerosene": activists of the group "Stay on the ground" at BER Airport
Photo: Soeren Stache / dpa
It took almost thirty years - now the new Berlin capital airport is finally opening.
On this Saturday, Berlin and BER are set to become one of the most important traffic hubs for Europe's air traffic.
Right in the middle of the corona crisis, in which hardly any aircraft flies.
However, the opening might not run smoothly.
Several dozen members of the "Stay on the Ground" group, which is committed to reducing air traffic worldwide, have gathered at BER.
"Our goal is to paralyze the airport and massively disrupt the opening," said Lena Tucnak, one of the spokespersons.
"It cannot be that a new, huge airport will open in times of the climate crisis."
Air traffic must be reduced significantly overall.
"We are in favor of ending domestic flights and closing regional airports," said Tucnak.
What is needed is a social discussion about which flights are still necessary and which are not.
The group announced a civil disobedience action on Friday to prevent the airport from opening.
Other groups such as Fridays for Future or Extinction Rebellion have also announced protests.
Among other things, a demo is planned that will lead from the old Schönefeld Airport to BER in the morning.
The police had announced that they would be there with a large contingent to ensure the safety of the opening event
No party because of Corona
The opening of BER is planned for 2 p.m.
An Easyjet and Lufthansa aircraft each land with their respective bosses Johan Lundgren and Carsten Spohr.
Brandenburg's Prime Minister Dietmar Woidke, Berlin's Governing Mayor Michael Müller (both SPD) and Federal Transport Minister Andreas Scheuer (CSU) also take part in the opening.
Because of the corona pandemic, there is no big opening party.
The first flights from the new airport are planned for Sunday, and the "Willy Brandt" airport will then be fully operational on Wednesday.
The BER was originally supposed to open in 2011.
Due to numerous mishaps, the opening was postponed, which often caused ridicule.
In addition, the originally planned construction costs were exceeded many times over.
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joe / dpa