Berlin Tegel "Otto Lilienthal" Airport was the primary international airport of Berlin, the federal capital of Germany. The airport was named after aviation pioneer Otto Lilienthal and was the fourth busiest airport in Germany, with over 24 million passengers in 2019. In 2016, Tegel handled over 60% of all airline passenger traffic in Berlin. The airport served as a base for Eurowings, Ryanair as well as easyJet. It featured flights to several European metropolitan and leisure destinations as well as some intercontinental routes. It was situated in Tegel, a section of the northern borough of Reinickendorf, eight kilometres northwest of the city centre of Berlin. Tegel Airport was notable for its hexagonal main terminal building around an open square, which made walking distances as short as 30 m from the aircraft to the terminal exit.
TXL saw its last flight on 8 November 2020 after all traffic had been transferred gradually to the new Berlin Brandenburg Airport until that date. It was legally decommissioned as an airfield after a mandatory transitional period on 4 May 2021. All government flights were also relocated to the new airport with the exception of helicopter operations which will stay at a separate area on the northern side of Tegel Airport until 2029.
The airport's grounds are due to be redeveloped into a new city quarter dedicated to scientific and industrial research named Urban Tech Republic which is to retain the airport's main building and tower as a repurposed landmark.
Berlin Tempelhof Airport was one of the first airports in Berlin, Germany. Situated in the south-central Berlin borough of Tempelhof-Schöneberg, the airport ceased operating in 2008 amid controversy, leaving Tegel and Schönefeld as the two main airports serving the city until both were replaced by Berlin Brandenburg Airport in 2020.
Tempelhof was designated as an airport by the Reich Ministry of Transport on 8 October 1923. The old terminal was originally constructed in 1927. In anticipation of increasing air traffic, the Nazi government began an enormous reconstruction in the mid-1930s. While it was occasionally cited as the world's oldest operating commercial airport, the title was disputed by several other airports, and is no longer an issue since its closure.
Tempelhof was one of Europe's three iconic pre-World War II airports, the others being London's now defunct Croydon Airport and the old Paris–Le Bourget Airport. It acquired a further iconic status as the centre of the Berlin Airlift of 1948–49. One of the airport's most distinctive features is its huge, canopy-style roof extending over the apron, able to accommodate most contemporary airliners in the 1950s, 1960s and early 1970s, protecting passengers from the elements. Tempelhof Airport's main building was once among the twenty largest buildings on earth, but it also formerly contained the world's smallest duty-free shop.
Tempelhof Airport closed all operations on 30 October 2008, despite the efforts of some protesters to prevent the closure. A non-binding referendum was held on 27 April 2008 against the impending closure but failed due to low voter turnout. The former airfield has subsequently been used as a recreational space known as Tempelhofer Feld. In September 2015, it was announced that Tempelhof would also become an emergency refugee camp.
TXL saw its last flight on 8 November 2020 after all traffic had been transferred gradually to the new Berlin Brandenburg Airport until this date. It has been legally decommissioned as an airfield after a mandatory transitional period on 4 May 2021. All government flights were also relocated to the new airport with the exception of helicopter operations which will stay at a separate area on the northern side of Tegel Airport until 2029.
If flew in again this spring. Yes, it's still here. The airport is a bit shabby and run-down, but you can't beat it for convenience—just a quick short distance away from the centre of the city.
I visited the park on the old airport site today. I'm sad that it closed, but it's still worth a visit: people use the runways for cycling, jogging, rollerblading, and kite-surfing, and for a pilot (or aviation fan), it's interesting being able to walk up to the hold-short line for 27R, then on along the runway.
I landed at Tegel this week, so clearly it's still open, despite the comment I left 7 1/2 years ago. As the Wikipedia article mentions, walking distances are extremely short — in less than 5 minutes, I was off the plane and in a cab.
A taxi to my hotel near the Heinrich-Heine Straße U-Bahn station was €35, which is a bit pricey. I have since discovered that there is an express bus "TXL" that takes 41 minutes from Alexanderplatz to Tegel (or vice versa). Details here: http://www.bvg.de/index.php/en/17131/name/JetExpressBus+TXL.html
I guess the US finally did something, where were they in June 1953 when we were totally cut off from West Berlin for about ten weeks when the Russians marched in during the East German uprising. It wasn't great to be treated as animals thereafter either nor hearing East Germans being shot by Russians soldiers either. May they rest in Peace.
Along with Berlin-Tempelhof (THF), Tegel is scheduled to be replaced by an expanded Berlin-Schönefeld (SXF -- to be renamed "Berlin-Brandenburg International" around 2011). Tegel and Tempelhof are actually in Berlin, while Schönefeld is further out of town, in the former East Germany.
Berlin, Germany
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Latest comments about airports in Berlin, Germany
Berlin Tegel Airport
🔗 Sat, 05 Nov 2022
— @Silvanus_Tauris at Berlin-Tegel Otto Lilienthal Airport, Germany
Berlin Tegel "Otto Lilienthal" Airport was the primary international airport of Berlin, the federal capital of Germany. The airport was named after aviation pioneer Otto Lilienthal and was the fourth busiest airport in Germany, with over 24 million passengers in 2019. In 2016, Tegel handled over 60% of all airline passenger traffic in Berlin. The airport served as a base for Eurowings, Ryanair as well as easyJet. It featured flights to several European metropolitan and leisure destinations as well as some intercontinental routes. It was situated in Tegel, a section of the northern borough of Reinickendorf, eight kilometres northwest of the city centre of Berlin. Tegel Airport was notable for its hexagonal main terminal building around an open square, which made walking distances as short as 30 m from the aircraft to the terminal exit.
TXL saw its last flight on 8 November 2020 after all traffic had been transferred gradually to the new Berlin Brandenburg Airport until that date. It was legally decommissioned as an airfield after a mandatory transitional period on 4 May 2021. All government flights were also relocated to the new airport with the exception of helicopter operations which will stay at a separate area on the northern side of Tegel Airport until 2029.
The airport's grounds are due to be redeveloped into a new city quarter dedicated to scientific and industrial research named Urban Tech Republic which is to retain the airport's main building and tower as a repurposed landmark.
Berlin Tempelhof Airport
🔗 Sat, 05 Nov 2022
— @Silvanus_Tauris at Berlin Tempelhof Airport, Germany
Berlin Tempelhof Airport was one of the first airports in Berlin, Germany. Situated in the south-central Berlin borough of Tempelhof-Schöneberg, the airport ceased operating in 2008 amid controversy, leaving Tegel and Schönefeld as the two main airports serving the city until both were replaced by Berlin Brandenburg Airport in 2020.
Tempelhof was designated as an airport by the Reich Ministry of Transport on 8 October 1923. The old terminal was originally constructed in 1927. In anticipation of increasing air traffic, the Nazi government began an enormous reconstruction in the mid-1930s. While it was occasionally cited as the world's oldest operating commercial airport, the title was disputed by several other airports, and is no longer an issue since its closure.
Tempelhof was one of Europe's three iconic pre-World War II airports, the others being London's now defunct Croydon Airport and the old Paris–Le Bourget Airport. It acquired a further iconic status as the centre of the Berlin Airlift of 1948–49. One of the airport's most distinctive features is its huge, canopy-style roof extending over the apron, able to accommodate most contemporary airliners in the 1950s, 1960s and early 1970s, protecting passengers from the elements. Tempelhof Airport's main building was once among the twenty largest buildings on earth, but it also formerly contained the world's smallest duty-free shop.
Tempelhof Airport closed all operations on 30 October 2008, despite the efforts of some protesters to prevent the closure. A non-binding referendum was held on 27 April 2008 against the impending closure but failed due to low voter turnout. The former airfield has subsequently been used as a recreational space known as Tempelhofer Feld. In September 2015, it was announced that Tempelhof would also become an emergency refugee camp.
Per Wikipedia
🔗 Thu, 06 May 2021
— @animebirder at Berlin-Tegel Otto Lilienthal Airport, Germany
TXL saw its last flight on 8 November 2020 after all traffic had been transferred gradually to the new Berlin Brandenburg Airport until this date. It has been legally decommissioned as an airfield after a mandatory transitional period on 4 May 2021. All government flights were also relocated to the new airport with the exception of helicopter operations which will stay at a separate area on the northern side of Tegel Airport until 2029.
Still open (2019)
🔗 Fri, 04 Oct 2019
— @david at Berlin-Tegel Otto Lilienthal Airport, Germany
If flew in again this spring. Yes, it's still here. The airport is a bit shabby and run-down, but you can't beat it for convenience—just a quick short distance away from the centre of the city.
Open space
🔗 Sun, 20 Jul 2014
— @david at Berlin Tempelhof Airport, Germany
I visited the park on the old airport site today. I'm sad that it closed, but it's still worth a visit: people use the runways for cycling, jogging, rollerblading, and kite-surfing, and for a pilot (or aviation fan), it's interesting being able to walk up to the hold-short line for 27R, then on along the runway.
Ground transportation
🔗 Sat, 19 Jul 2014
— @david at Berlin-Tegel Otto Lilienthal Airport, Germany
I landed at Tegel this week, so clearly it's still open, despite the comment I left 7 1/2 years ago. As the Wikipedia article mentions, walking distances are extremely short — in less than 5 minutes, I was off the plane and in a cab.
A taxi to my hotel near the Heinrich-Heine Straße U-Bahn station was €35, which is a bit pricey. I have since discovered that there is an express bus "TXL" that takes 41 minutes from Alexanderplatz to Tegel (or vice versa). Details here: http://www.bvg.de/index.php/en/17131/name/JetExpressBus+TXL.html
Berlin THF Airport
🔗 Mon, 03 Jan 2011
— @NCOonRJ85 at Berlin Tempelhof Airport, Germany
Other capitols BUILD airports to be fast in the centre (e.g. London)- this one was closed down....
Steinstuecken Helipad
🔗 Tue, 22 Sep 2009
— Anonymous Flyer at Steinstücken Helipad, Germany
I guess the US finally did something, where were they in June 1953 when we were totally cut off from West Berlin for about ten weeks when the Russians marched in during the East German uprising. It wasn't great to be treated as animals thereafter either nor hearing East Germans being shot by Russians soldiers either. May they rest in Peace.
Ray Rose - ray.rose@shawmail.com
Helipad in Steinstücken
🔗 Fri, 15 May 2009
— @Zoran at Steinstücken Helipad, Germany
Steinstücken was west-exclave in DDR. This helipad was used by US army from 1961 to 1989.
Scheduled to close
🔗 Sat, 28 Jul 2007
— @david at Berlin-Tegel Otto Lilienthal Airport, Germany
Along with Berlin-Tempelhof (THF), Tegel is scheduled to be replaced by an expanded Berlin-Schönefeld (SXF -- to be renamed "Berlin-Brandenburg International" around 2011). Tegel and Tempelhof are actually in Berlin, while Schönefeld is further out of town, in the former East Germany.
Closing
🔗 Sat, 28 Jul 2007
— @david at Berlin Tempelhof Airport, Germany
Tempelhof is scheduled to be closed in October 2008.
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