Ruth Haines
Berlin Schönefeld Airport (SXF) was located 18km southeast of Berlin, Germany, near the town of Schönefeld. It was one of two international airports in Berlin, the other being Berlin Tegel Airport. On 25 October 2020, Schönefeld Airport ceased to exist as an independent airport, becoming Terminal 5 of Berlin Brandenburg Airport.
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What You'll Learn
Berlin-Schönefeld Airport is now part of Berlin Brandenburg Airport
Berlin-Schönefeld Airport (SXF) was located 18 km southeast of Berlin, Germany, near the town of Schönefeld in the state of Brandenburg. It was the smaller of the two airports in Berlin, serving as an operating base for easyJet and Ryanair.
In the 1990s, operating three separate airports in Berlin became increasingly costly. This led the Berlin legislature to pursue plans for a single airport that would be more efficient and decrease aircraft noise within the city. As a result, it was decided to build Berlin Brandenburg Airport at the current site of Schönefeld Airport.
Berlin Brandenburg Airport opened on 31 October 2020, and Schönefeld Airport became Terminal 5 of the new airport, losing its name and IATA code. The terminal buildings at Schönefeld were intended to be used until the inauguration of Terminal 3 by 2030. However, due to low passenger numbers during the COVID-19 pandemic, Terminal 5 was closed in November 2020, and all flights were relocated to the main terminal.
Berlin Brandenburg Airport is located in the southeast of Berlin, and all air traffic in the capital region is concentrated there. The airport features a 72-metre-tall control tower, the third-highest in Germany. The airport is served by various regional and suburban railway lines, connecting it to Berlin and Brandenburg.
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It was once East Germany's central airport
Berlin Schönefeld Airport, now known as Berlin Brandenburg Airport, was once the central airport of East Germany. Located in the town of Schönefeld, just outside Berlin, the airport played a significant role in the country's aviation history. During the post-World War II period, when Germany was divided into two states, East Germany (the German Democratic Republic, or GDR) needed an airport that could serve as a gateway to the capital, East Berlin. Schönefeld Airport became that gateway.
The construction of Schönefeld Airport began in the 1950s, and it officially opened in 1963, becoming the main international airport for East Germany. It was a modern facility for its time, featuring a terminal building, a runway, and all the necessary infrastructure to handle international flights. The airport was a hub for Interflug, the national airline of East Germany, which operated flights to destinations within the GDR as well as to other socialist countries and a few select Western nations.
As the central airport of East Germany, Schönefeld held a crucial position in the country's transportation network. It served as a vital link between East Berlin and the rest of the world, facilitating travel for both citizens of the GDR and foreign visitors. The airport witnessed the comings and goings of diplomats, business people, tourists, and families separated by the division of Germany. It also played a role in the cultural and economic exchanges that took place between East Germany and other nations during this period.
Schönefeld Airport underwent several expansions and upgrades over the years to accommodate increasing air traffic and the growing demands of aviation. However, following German reunification in 1990, the airport's role began to change. With the integration of East and West Berlin, the need for two separate airports diminished, and plans were eventually put in motion to consolidate the city's air traffic into a single, modern airport.
Today, the former Schönefeld Airport has been incorporated into the new Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER), which opened in 2020. The new airport combines the facilities of the former Schönefeld Airport with additional modern terminals and infrastructure. While the history of Schönefeld Airport as the central airport of East Germany may be lesser known compared to other chapters of Berlin's aviation story, it nonetheless played a crucial role in the city's and the country's past, serving as a gateway to East Berlin during a unique period in German history.
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It was located 18km southeast of Berlin
Berlin Schönefeld Airport (SXF) was located 18km southeast of Berlin. It was the smaller of the city's two airports, the other being Berlin Tegel Airport. From 1945 until the fall of the Berlin Wall, Schönefeld Airport was the German Democratic Republic's central airport, connecting the country to the Eastern Bloc. In the two decades after the fall of the Iron Curtain, it became a popular destination for budget airlines.
In 2012, Schönefeld and Tegel airports handled around 25.3 million passengers, making Berlin the third-largest airport location in Germany. However, maintaining three separate airports after German reunification in 1990 became increasingly costly. As such, plans were made to build a single, more efficient airport in the southeast of the city, where Schönefeld Airport was located.
Berlin Schönefeld Airport was easily accessible by car, bus, and train. The airport could be reached via the nearby motorway A113, which connects to motorways A100 and A10, leading to Berlin city center and circling the city, respectively. Several bus services also connected the airport to Berlin, including local BVG bus lines 162 and 171. Additionally, the S-Bahn trains provided a convenient connection to the Berlin U-Bahn network at Rudow Station.
In October 2020, Schönefeld Airport became Terminal 5 of the new Berlin Brandenburg Airport, and the IATA code SXF was discontinued. Schönefeld's terminal buildings were intended to remain in use until the inauguration of Terminal 3 in 2030. However, due to low passenger numbers during the COVID-19 pandemic, Terminal 5 was closed in November 2020, and all flights were relocated to the main terminal.
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It was the smaller of Berlin's two airports
Berlin Schönefeld Airport (SXF) was one of two airports in Berlin, Germany. Located 18 km southeast of Berlin, it was the smaller of the two airports in the city, the other being Berlin Tegel Airport.
Berlin Schönefeld Airport was situated near the town of Schönefeld in the state of Brandenburg, bordering Berlin's southern boundary. The airport was easily accessible via various modes of transportation. The terminal was just a five-minute walk from the railway station, with S-Bahn trains running frequently to and from the city. Regional trains also connected the airport to nearby areas, including Potsdam. Additionally, several bus services, including BVG bus lines 162 and 171, provided connections to different parts of Berlin.
Berlin Schönefeld Airport played a significant role in the history of aviation in Germany. From 1945 until the fall of the Berlin Wall, it served as the central airport for the German Democratic Republic (GDR), connecting the country to the Eastern Bloc. After German reunification in 1990, the airport continued to be an important aviation hub. However, operating three separate airports became financially challenging, leading to the decision to build a single, more efficient airport in Berlin.
Over the years, Berlin Schönefeld Airport underwent several upgrades and refurbishments to accommodate increasing passenger numbers. Despite being the smaller of Berlin's two airports, it handled around 12.7 million passengers in 2018, contributing to Berlin's position as the third-largest airport location in Germany. The airport served as a base for airlines such as easyJet and Ryanair, offering flights to mainly European metropolitan and leisure destinations.
In October 2020, Berlin Schönefeld Airport ceased to exist as an independent airport. It became Terminal 5 of the new Berlin Brandenburg Airport, losing its original name and IATA code. Unfortunately, due to low passenger numbers during the COVID-19 pandemic, Terminal 5 was closed in November 2020, and all flights were relocated to the main terminal of the new airport.
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It was ranked the worst airport in the world by eDreams in 2017
Berlin Schönefeld Airport (SXF) was ranked the worst airport in the world by eDreams in 2017. The ranking was based on an analysis of over 65,000 airport reviews left by eDreams customers in 2016. eDreams took into account the "global quality", waiting areas, shopping, and restaurants when rating the airports. In addition to these factors, security efficiency and cleanliness were also considered in the survey.
Berlin Schönefeld Airport, located 18 km (11 mi) southeast of Berlin, was the smaller of the city's two airports, the other being Berlin Tegel Airport. Schönefeld Airport served as an operating base for easyJet and Ryanair and handled 12.9 million passengers in 2017, serving mainly European metropolitan and leisure destinations. The airport could be easily accessed by car, bus, and train.
Despite the low ranking by eDreams, Berlin Schönefeld Airport held historical significance. From 1945 until the fall of the Berlin Wall, it was the central airport of the German Democratic Republic, connecting the country to the Eastern Bloc. After German reunification in 1990, operating three separate airports became costly, leading to the decision to build a single, more efficient airport in Berlin. This resulted in the development of the Berlin Brandenburg Airport at the site of Schönefeld Airport.
In October 2020, Schönefeld Airport became Terminal 5 of Berlin Brandenburg Airport, and the IATA code SXF was discontinued. However, due to low passenger numbers during the COVID-19 pandemic, Terminal 5 was closed in November 2020, and all flights were relocated to the main terminal. The former Schönefeld Airport, known as Terminal 5, was permanently closed in November 2022.
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Frequently asked questions
SXF is the airport code for Berlin Schönefeld Airport, which was located 18 km southeast of Berlin near the town of Schönefeld in the state of Brandenburg.
The airport is just a five-minute walk from the railway station via a covered walkway. S-Bahn trains run every 10 minutes on the eastbound ring via Ostkreuz to Pankow and the southbound ring to the long-distance railway station in Südkreuz. The Airport Express is the quickest and cheapest way to get to central Berlin from Schönefeld. A train departs every 30 minutes to Berlin Hauptbahnhof and the journey takes a little less than half an hour.
SXF airport has been used exclusively by easyJet and Ryanair.
On 25 October 2020, Schönefeld Airport became Terminal 5 of Berlin Brandenburg Airport and the IATA code SXF was discontinued. On 23 February 2021, Terminal 5 was permanently closed due to low passenger numbers.
