Berlin’s new BBI airport: Topping-out ceremony for the terminal

Topping-out ceremony for the centrepiece of BBI to be celebrated on 7 May / Berlin Airports will be holding a weekend of topping-out celebrations at the BBI Infotower on 8 and 9 May

The big day has almost arrived: Berlin Airports are celebrating the topping-out ceremony for the terminal, the centrepiece of the new airport. The ceremony will mark the achievement of yet another incredible milestone, less than 550 days before the new Berlin Brandenburg International Airport BBI is due to open. At the official ceremony on Friday, 7 May, the topping-out wreath will be lifted into position on the roof of the terminal. At the weekend, on 8 and 9 May, Berlin Airports invites people from Berlin and Brandenburg to come and take a look at the progress that has been made in this important construction project.

“The topping-out ceremony for the centrepiece of Berlin’s new airport demonstrates quite clearly that the foundation for Berlin Brandenburg International Airport BBI is up and standing proud”, said Prof. Dr. Rainer Schwarz, Chief Executive Officer of Berlin Airports. “The completion of the structural steel work for the roof of the terminal marks yet another important milestone along the path the inauguration of the new airport on 30 October 2010. Now the focus will be on filling the new airport with life.”

“We are delighted to be celebrating the topping-out ceremony on 7 May, together with our partners, the companies and construction workers involved in this massive project and our staff”, said Manfred Körtgen, Managing Director of Operations/BBI of Berlin Airports. “In spite of the hard winter, work has progressed ceaselessly and we are very proud to be able to place the topping-out wreath on the roof of the terminal absolutely on schedule.”

The topping-out of the new BBI terminal will be celebrated in an official ceremony on 7 May, starting at 11 a.m. The ceremony will be attended by Dr. Peter Ramsauer, Federal Minister of Transport, Building and Urban Affairs, Klaus Wowereit, Governing Mayor of the State of Berlin, Matthias Platzeck, Prime Minister of the State of Brandenburg, Prof. Dr. Rainer Schwarz, Chief Executive Officer of Berlin Airports, and Manfred Körtgen, Managing Director of Operations/BBI at Berlin Airports.

After the official topping-out ceremony, Berlin Airports will be holding a topping-out weekend at the BBI Infotower on Saturday, 8 May, from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m., and on Sunday, 9 may, from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m., to which everyone is invited to come and view the progress that has been made on the construction site from the observation platform of the BBI Infotower. Admission to the BBI Infotower is €2, concessions €1. There will be a programme of events around the BBI Infotower, with stage shows, competitions, an Armin bouncy castle, information about the new airport, information stands, a digger operating license, fun and games for children and a choice of food and drinks.

Visitors will also be able to get a close-up look at the terminal with a construction site or helicopter tour over the site. Both construction site tours and the helicopter flights can be booked in advance online at www.berlin-airport.de, www.air-service-berlin.de or on the day at the BBI Infotower. There will be reduced ticket prices for the construction site tours and helicopter flights on both days of the topping-out weekend. Visitors who have booked a construction site tour have free admission to the BBI Infotower.

Berlin Airports recommends using public transport to get to the topping-out weekend. The number of parking spaces is limited.

• By bus

Bus number 734 runs from Grünau S-Bahn station direct to the BBI Infotower. The bus leaves every hour; for timetables, please visit the website of the local transport company, Regionale Verkehrsgesellschaft Dahme-Spreewald MbH at www.rvs-lds.de.

• By car

To get to the BBI Infotower by car coming from the north, take the A 117 motorway; coming from the south, take the A 113 motorway. Exit at Waltersdorf/BBI-Baustelle and follow the signs. In front of the GAT and the entrance to the south area of Schoenefeld Airport, turn left to the BBI Infotower.