Germany's second largest airline Airberlin filed a lawsuit against Berlin's new airport operator on Tuesday, claiming for damages resulting from the airport's repeatedly delayed opening.

The airline filed a request against the Flughafen Berlin Brandenburg GmbH at Potsdam Regional Court, seeking judicial confirmation of the airline's entitlement to damages as a result of the postponement of the opening of the new Berlin Brandenburg airport.

"Over the course of the last several months we held many intensive discussions with the airport operator in which we strove to find a mutually acceptable solution. Unfortunately, no such agreement could be reached despite extensive efforts on the part of Airberlin," said Airberlin's Chief Executive Officer Hartmut Mehdorn in a statement.

"Legal action is now the only feasible route open to airberlin in order to safeguard its interests," he said.

The airline has been suffering from a worsening economy in Europe. The repeated delays in opening Berlin-Brandenburg Airport, which was scheduled to be Airberlin's new international hub, has caused "considerable damage which can not be fully quantified at this stage", the statement claimed.

Airberlin said it has made its flight plans for Berlin "on the basis of the infrastructure of the new airport and the opening date assured by the airport operator."

More than 230 additional flights per week has been scheduled to Berlin in summer 2012, when it was originally planned to open.

As the new airport being postponed for several times for security and other different reasons, Airberlin had to fly all those flights through Berlin Tegel airport, which the airline said "is already operating at the limits of its capacity and even with the most committed engagement of the airport staff."

"The estimated additional costs and other losses, incurred to date through the continuing operations at Berlin-Tegel, has already run into the tens of millions," said the airline in the statement.