Lois Larson
Berlin, the capital of Germany, currently has two airports in operation: Tegel Airport (TXL) and Schönefeld Airport (SXF). Tegel Airport, formerly located in West Berlin, is the larger of the two and is situated within the Berlin metropolitan area. Schönefeld Airport, on the other hand, was the airport for East Berlin during the Cold War and is located just outside the city. In addition to these two active airports, Berlin has several former airports, including Tempelhof Airport, which closed in 2008, and RAF Gatow, a former Royal Air Force military airbase that closed in 1994. Berlin's current sole international airport, Berlin Brandenburg Airport Willy Brandt (BER), opened in 2020 after nine years of delay and replaced Tegel, Schönefeld, and Tempelhof airports.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of Airports in Operation | 2 |
| Berlin's Former Central Airport | One of the first commercial airports in Germany when it opened in 1923 |
| Berlin's Current Airports | Berlin Brandenburg Airport "Willy Brandt" (IATA: BER, ICAO: EDDB), Berlin Schönefeld Airport (IATA: SXF, ICAO: EDDB) |
| Berlin's Former Airports | Berlin Tegel Airport "Otto Lilienthal" (IATA: TXL, ICAO: EDDT), Berlin Tempelhof Airport (IATA: THF, ICAO: EDDI), RAF Gatow (IATA: GWW, ICAO: EDBG), Johannisthal Airfield |
| Berlin Brandenburg Airport Location | Schönefeld, just south of Berlin in the state of Brandenburg |
| Berlin Brandenburg Airport Base Airlines | Condor, easyJet, Eurowings, Ryanair, and Sundair |
| Berlin Brandenburg Airport Destinations | European metropolitan and leisure destinations and a few intercontinental services |
| Berlin Brandenburg Airport Terminal | U-shaped, designed by gmp architects, with four public levels |
| Berlin Brandenburg Airport Lounges | Lufthansa airport lounge at the north end of the main pier (gate B20), airport-operated lounge at the south end of the main pier (gate A20) |
| Berlin Brandenburg Airport Terminal 1 Major Operators | easyJet, the Lufthansa Group, Condor, Aegean Airlines, Air France, KLM, British Airways, Turkish Airlines, United Airlines, and Qatar Airways |
| Berlin Brandenburg Airport Plans | Plans for a separate low-cost airline terminal costing €200 million |
| Berlin Schönefeld Airport Location | Just outside Berlin, in the former East Berlin |
| Berlin Tegel Airport Location | Within the Berlin metropolitan area, in the former West Berlin |
| Berlin Tegel Airport Status | Closed for civilian travel, the northern part still exists as a military helipad |
| Berlin Tempelhof Airport Status | Closed in 2008, site and buildings now used for trade fairs, sporting events, refugee accommodation, and film sets |
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What You'll Learn
- Berlin Brandenburg Airport: Berlin's sole international airport, located in Schönefeld, opened in 2020
- Berlin Schönefeld Airport: The airport for East Berlin during the Cold War, closed in 2020
- Berlin Tegel Airport: The former main airport of Berlin, closed for civilian travel in 2020
- Berlin Tempelhof Airport: Berlin's former central airport, closed in 2008, now used for events and film sets
- RAF Gatow: A former Royal Air Force military airbase in south-western Berlin, closed in 1994
Berlin Brandenburg Airport: Berlin's sole international airport, located in Schönefeld, opened in 2020
Berlin, the capital of Germany, currently has a single international airport: Berlin Brandenburg Airport. The airport, which opened in 2020, is located in Schönefeld, just across the Berlin-Brandenburg border, 18 kilometres (11 mi) south-east of the city centre. It is named after former West Berlin mayor and West German chancellor Willy Brandt.
Berlin Brandenburg Airport was built to replace the former airports of Tempelhof, Schönefeld, and Tegel, becoming the sole commercial airport serving Berlin and the surrounding state of Brandenburg. With a projected annual passenger volume of around 34 million, it has become the third busiest airport in Germany. The airport features a U-shaped main terminal building, Terminal 1, which consists of sections A, B (01-25), C, and D. The terminal has four public levels, designated 0, 1, 2, and 3, and sits between the two runways, creating a midfield airport above the underground train station.
Terminal 1 is served by several major airlines, including easyJet, the Lufthansa Group, Condor, Aegean Airlines, Air France, KLM, British Airways, Turkish Airlines, United Airlines, and Qatar Airways. The terminal offers a variety of facilities for passengers, including airport lounges operated by Lufthansa and the airport itself. The north and south piers of the terminal have distinct designs to meet different demands, with the north pier featuring a minimalist design to cater to low-cost carriers.
Berlin Brandenburg Airport has faced a number of challenges, including financial control issues and construction lapses, which led to delays in its opening. Despite these setbacks, the airport is a significant addition to Berlin's infrastructure, providing efficient air travel services to and from the city.
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Berlin Schönefeld Airport: The airport for East Berlin during the Cold War, closed in 2020
Berlin, the capital of Germany, has had several airports over the years, including some that are now closed. One such airport is Berlin Schönefeld Airport, which was founded in 1934 and served as the airport for East Berlin during the Cold War. The airport was located just outside the city in the southeastern area and was known as Schönefeld or by its IATA code, SXF.
Berlin Schönefeld Airport played a significant role during the Cold War, serving as the main gateway to East Berlin. While the city was divided, West Berlin had its own airports, including Tegel Airport, which was the former main airport of the city. Tegel Airport, with the IATA code TXL, was built during the Berlin Airlift in 1948 and remained in operation until 2020.
In the years following German reunification, plans emerged to consolidate Berlin's air traffic into a single airport. This led to the development of the Berlin Brandenburg Airport "Willy Brandt" (BER), located just across the Berlin-Brandenburg border in Schönefeld. The new airport was intended to replace Tegel, Schönefeld, and another airport, Tempelhof, becoming the sole international airport serving Berlin and Brandenburg.
Berlin Schönefeld Airport closed in 2020, with its old terminal and one of its runways becoming part of the new Berlin Brandenburg Airport. The closure marked the end of an era for the airport that had served East Berlin during the Cold War. The new Berlin Brandenburg Airport opened in 2020 as well, after nine years of delays, and it has since become the third busiest airport in Germany.
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Berlin Tegel Airport: The former main airport of Berlin, closed for civilian travel in 2020
Berlin Tegel Airport, also known as "Otto Lilienthal", was Berlin's former main airport. It was built during the Berlin Airlift in 1948 and served as a hub for Air Berlin until the airline's collapse in 2017. Tegel Airport was located in the north-western part of Berlin, while the Berlin Schönefeld Airport, located in the south-eastern area, served East Berlin during the Cold War.
Tegel was one of the first commercial airports in Germany when it opened in 1923. It was Berlin's largest airport, formerly located in West Berlin, and was situated within the Berlin metropolitan area. Before its closure in 2020, Tegel had the fourth-highest passenger volume in Germany, after Frankfurt, Munich, and Düsseldorf airports.
The airport is well-serviced by several bus routes that provide efficient connections to the centre of Berlin Mitte. The JetExpressBus TXL, for example, operates at a frequency of 10-15 minutes and offers direct access to key locations such as Alexanderplatz, Brandenburger Tor, and Berlin Hauptbahnhof (the main train station). The small size of Tegel Airport made it convenient for passengers to navigate and reduced the time taken to reach their departure or arrival gates.
Despite Tegel Airport's closure for civilian travel, the northern section remains operational as a military helipad. The vacant terminals are also being redeveloped for other purposes. For instance, an industrial and research park named "Berlin TXL - The Urban Tech Republic" is planned for construction on the site. Additionally, the Berlin University of Applied Sciences and the Berlin Fire Brigade are among the potential future users of the airport's facilities.
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Berlin Tempelhof Airport: Berlin's former central airport, closed in 2008, now used for events and film sets
Berlin's former central airport, Berlin Tempelhof Airport, was one of the first commercial airports in Germany when it opened in 1923. It handled international passenger volume in the greater Berlin area until its closure in 2008. Two years after its closure, Tempelhof Airport was opened to the public, and the site and vacant buildings have since been used for various purposes. The runway area is now used as parkland, and the hangers and other buildings have been used for trade fairs, sporting events, and refugee accommodation. Berlin Tempelhof Airport has also been a sought-after film set for blockbuster movies such as The Bourne Conspiracy (2004), Berlin Airlift (2005), Valkyrie (2007), The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 (2014), and The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 (2015).
The closure of Tempelhof Airport was part of Berlin's transition to a single commercial airport serving the city and the surrounding state of Brandenburg. The new Berlin Brandenburg Airport "Willy Brandt" (BER), located just across the Berlin-Brandenburg border in Schönefeld, replaced Tempelhof, Schönefeld, and Tegel airports. Berlin Schönefeld Airport (SXF) was the airport for East Berlin during the Cold War, while Tegel Airport (TXL) was located in West Berlin. Together, these two airports handled over 23 million passengers per year before Schönefeld closed in 2020 and Tegel in 2020.
Berlin Brandenburg Airport, named after former West Berlin mayor and West German chancellor Willy Brandt, is located 18 kilometres (11 miles) southeast of the city centre. It serves as a base for airlines such as Condor, easyJet, Eurowings, Ryanair, and Sundair, offering flights to European and intercontinental destinations. With projected annual passenger numbers of around 34 million, it has become Germany's third busiest airport.
The transition to a single airport in Berlin faced several challenges. There were concerns about the financial control and construction lapses, with the new airport experiencing delays and negative publicity. Additionally, the Berlin Brandenburg Flughafen Holding GmbH (BBF), owned by Berlin, Brandenburg, and the Federal Republic of Germany, had to address issues related to soundproofing nearby homes, leading to increased costs. Despite these challenges, Berlin Brandenburg Airport eventually opened in 2020, nine years after its initial planned opening date.
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RAF Gatow: A former Royal Air Force military airbase in south-western Berlin, closed in 1994
Berlin, the capital of Germany, has had several airports over the years, including some that are no longer operational. One such example is RAF Gatow, a former Royal Air Force military airbase located in the district of Gatow in south-western Berlin.
RAF Gatow, with its IATA code GWW and ICAO code EDBG, served as a military airbase during its operational years. The airbase played a significant role in the history of Berlin and was an important site for the Royal Air Force. However, in 1994, the airbase ceased its operations and was officially closed. This closure marked the end of an era for RAF Gatow, and the site underwent a transformation to accommodate new purposes.
Today, the former RAF Gatow site is utilised by an Air Force Museum, preserving the history of aviation and providing visitors with insights into the past. The museum is an educational resource for locals and tourists alike, showcasing artefacts, exhibits, and perhaps even aircraft from the airbase's military past. The museum helps to keep the memory of RAF Gatow alive and honours its contribution to Berlin's aviation history.
The closure of RAF Gatow was a significant event, and its impact extended beyond the military. With the airbase no longer in use, the surrounding area may have experienced changes in terms of noise levels and traffic. Additionally, the closure could have had economic implications, potentially affecting businesses and communities that relied on the airbase for employment or other opportunities.
RAF Gatow, now a memory of the past, remains an integral part of Berlin's aviation history. Its story is a reminder of the city's complex history and the role that military airbases played during certain periods. Today, Berlin's air traffic is managed by its current international airport, Berlin Brandenburg Airport "Willy Brandt" (IATA: BER), which opened in 2020 and is located just across the Berlin-Brandenburg border in Schönefeld.
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Frequently asked questions
Berlin Brandenburg Airport "Willy Brandt" (IATA: BER, ICAO: EDDB) is Berlin's current international airport. It opened in 2020 and is located just across the Berlin-Brandenburg border in Schönefeld.
Berlin Tegel Airport "Otto Lilienthal" (IATA: TXL, ICAO: EDDT), Berlin Schönefeld Airport (IATA: SXF, ICAO: EDDB), and Berlin Tempelhof Airport (IATA: THF, ICAO: EDDI) are some of the former airports in Berlin.
Berlin Tempelhof Airport closed in 2008.
Berlin Brandenburg Airport is the third busiest airport in Germany, with projected annual passenger numbers of around 34 million. It has surpassed Düsseldorf Airport to secure the third spot.
