Berlin's troubled airport gets new CEO

A hard-nosed manager with a history of overseeing corporate turnarounds was named Friday as the new CEO of Berlin's airports, putting him in charge of completing the capital's new hub after a string of embarrassing delays, AP reported. Hartmut Mehdorn, 70, formerly headed Germany's national railway and its second-biggest airline. He takes over from Rainer Schwarz, who was fired in January shortly after the opening of the new airport was delayed for the fourth time - and the third such setback in less than a year. The delays have become a national joke. The airport was first scheduled to open in late 2011; officials decided in January not to set a new date, but say it may now take until 2015 to get it ready. Planners and builders are struggling with technical problems, above all an elaborate fire safety system.