Resolution of the Supervisory Board
12.12.2014
The Supervisory Board of Flughafen Berlin Brandenburg GmbH discussed in detail the report presented by the Board of Management which outlines the schedule tables for the opening of BER in the second half of 2017. The Supervisory Board pledges its full support to the Board of Management to ensure that the new airport is able to open and start operating as swiftly as possible.
The decisive factor for the support of the Supervisory Board was that the Board of Management was able to provide a realistic schedule and show that all the parties involved in the construction process supported the schedule, and in particular the planners, experts and contractors.
The Board of Management of the airport operating company also reported that verifiable milestones had been defined and pledged to publicly communicate these. At each meeting of the Supervisory Board, the Board will require the Board of Management to provide concrete details of the degree to which the individual milestones have been achieved.
Mehdorn Resigns as CEO of FBB: Departure in June 2015 at the Latest
15.12.2014
Hartmut Mehdorn, CEO of Flughafen Berlin Brandenburg GmbH, today notified Rainer Bretschneider, Chairman-in-Office of the Supervisory Board, that he is resigning his position as CEO. At the same time, Mehdorn told the Supervisory Board Chairperson that he would be willing to continue to perform his duties until a successor had been found, but that his resignation would take effect on 30 June 2015 at the latest.
Hartmut Mehdorn: “The decision for the schedule tables for the second half of 2017 which was made last Friday brought affairs full circle for me. When I took over as CEO of FBB in March 2013, the construction site was dominated by chaos and standstill. Now, the construction site organisation has been properly structured, the key technical issues have been decided and a new management team for BER and FBB is on board. Nevertheless, I have become aware in recent weeks that there has been speculation about my person from the sphere of the Supervisory Board which has exceeded the limits of what I regard as acceptable. I personally regret deeply my decision to resign; this step is not in line with my sense of responsibility or my personal goals. But as I weigh the circumstances of the situation, I see that it is necessary.”
The Supervisory Board and management of the Airport Company announced on 12 December 2014 that Berlin Brandenburg Airport has now been scheduled to open in the second half of 2017. The construction on the airport will be completed by March 2016 and will then be followed by its official acceptance, testing and trial operation.
The airport approved a plan by CEO Hartmut Mehdorn to finish construction and start operating the airport by then, noting: “We are determined to complete the project. We want the airport to fly”. Mr Mehdorn described the new deadline as a piece of “happy and good news.” He also said that the company had the project “under control” now.
Construction on the airport commenced in 2006 and was initially scheduled to open in 2011. The opening has already been postponed four times and costs have more than doubled to around EUR5.4 billion. The most serious problem is the airport’s faulty fire protection system.
I’ll keep it in mind 😉
Wait and see ….
Meanwhile, EUR 20 million will be spent on Berlin Tegel to keep the airport running for a few more years.