Affected by the corona crisis: BER operator receives 300 million loan

The new capital city airport is due to go online on October 31. But now the airport operator is struggling with the threat of insolvency. The main reason for this is the slump in passenger numbers as a result of the corona pandemic. But the federal and state governments are holding out financial aid.

The federal and state governments are accelerating the planned financial aid for the Berlin-Brandenburger Flughafengesellschaft (FBB). They had promised the ailing company 300 million euros in additional equity this year. Because the EU Commission's approval for the aid is still pending, the state-owned company is now to receive the money first as a grant and as a loan, as the Federal Ministry of Finance announced to the Bundestag budget committee.

Parliamentary State Secretary Bettina Hagedorn emphasizes the need for action thanks to the owners' commitment that the airport company can fall back on a guaranteed credit line. "FBB's solvency would not have been guaranteed for 2020 without the shareholders' commitment to finance." Hagedorn referred to the collapse in passenger numbers at Berlin's Tegel and Schönefeld airports during the Corona crisis. The airport company needs some of the funds committed by October at the latest.

After years of delays, the new BER airport is due to go online on October 31. The three airport owners – in addition to the federal government, the states of Berlin and Brandenburg – want to pay 98.8 million euros as direct grants, according to Hagedorn. This is covered by the "federal framework aid for airfields". The remaining 201.2 million euros will initially flow as a loan. It should be converted into equity when Brussels has decided. Airport boss Engelbert Lütke Daldrup had said last week that you only need 250 million to 260 million euros from the owners. The reason is savings.

As a precaution, the federal government wants to provide 300 million euros together with Berlin and Brandenburg. "The funds are of course called up as needed," emphasizes Hagedorn. The topic is on the agenda of the budget committee in the Bundestag next Wednesday. The FDP MP Christoph Meyer stated: "For the FBB it is only about survival." In his opinion, the 300 million euros will not be enough. "The federal government can now prepare for new requests for credit."