Berlin's new airport: How's it coming along?

Originally slated to open in 2010, Berlin's new Berlin Brandenburg Willy Brandt Airport was supposed to be a gleaming symbol as re-unified Berlin continues its reemergence into a world-class city. Instead, the airport has been set by a series of severe and embarrassing delays.

Or, as The Associated Press puts it, "the saga of Berlin's new airport has turned into a national joke and a source of humiliation for a people renowned for being on time. … The airport fiasco presents a staggering picture of incompetence."

The airport is now tentatively set to open this October, though officials have refused to set a precise date after being snake-bitten by previous missed openings.

So, how are things progressing at the airport? Paste BN reporter Bart Jansen took a tour of the airport last week, and offers this update through a series of photos.

And, if you're passing through Berlin and would like to see it for yourself, the airport offers public tours four days each week at a cost of 10 euros (about $13).