Former Air Berlin head Hartmut Mehdorn has been appointed as the new chief of Berlin-Brandenburg Airport.

Transport Minister, Peter Ramsauer, said Mehdorn’s appointment was “an important step” in putting the much-delayed airport on the path to success.

The new airport will replace the city’s two existing airports, Tegel and Schoenefeld.

As head of Air Berlin, Mehdorn was highly critical of the delay to the opening of the airport.