Few cities in the world are so closely associated with their airports as Berlin. It’s not only that Berlin has had so many airports, but their names have been imprinted into 20th-century history. Tempelhof, Tegel, Schönefeld, and Brandenburg are known the world over – for different reasons.
Berlin’s first commercial airport is less well known. Johannisthal Airfield opened in southeastern Berlin in 1909 and did brisk business during WWI and, interestingly, as a base for airships. While Johannisthal Airport existed until the 1990s, the construction of Tempelhof Airport after WWI marked the decline of Johannisthal. The airport is now a university campus.
Tempelhof first accepted planes in the 1920s, but it didn’t become a fully functioning airport until the 1930s. The airport went on to become a European icon. It was built by the Nazi Government and was for a time among the world´s busiest airports.
After WWII, Tempelhof was the one end of the Berlin airlift, an airbridge bringing vital supplies to a divided city. In later years, Berlin (and jets) outgrew Tempelhof, and the airport closed in 2008. But its role in WWII and spectacular terminal made it one of the world’s best-known airports.
East Berlin’s Schönefeld Airport a cold war survivor
After WWII, when Berlin got partitioned, the Russians took over Schönefeld Airport to serve as East Berlin’s main airport. Certain airlines flew to Schönefeld, and certain airlines flew to West Berlin’s airports.
Schönefeld never achieved the fame of Tempelhof. Perhaps that’s because Schönefeld lacked the architectural splendor of Tempelhof. Equally, Hollywood never had access to and never immortalized Schönefeld on film.
These days, Schönefeld is the airport sharing space with Brandenburg Airport. This weird arrangement might just work in the long run because the old Cold War-era airport still operates and expects to take traffic overflow from Brandenburg.
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Tegal Airport built in 90 days
Back in postwar Berlin, the Allies famously built Tegal Airport in just 90 days to assist with the airlift and take some load off Tempelhof. It was an airport of its time – mid 20th century, functional, and not made with an eye for future traffic increases.
It wasn’t until the 1960s that commercial airlines began moving flights to Tegal en masse. With the advent of the jet age, Tempelhof’s runways were too short, and its location meant expansion wasn’t an option.
Tegal Airport really hit its stride in the 1970s and 80s, serving as Berlin’s main commercial airport. That role got a further boost after the fall of the Berlin Wall, and several airlines abandoned Schönefeld.
In recent decades, Tegal has been cramped, overcrowded, and not a terribly good passenger experience. But the airport successfully cemented itself into history as Germany’s number one airport in the jet age. For many contemporary travelers, Tegal was their introduction to Germany.
Brandenburg Airport leaves a different legacy
But the demands on Tegal saw Berlin build a new airport. Planning for Brandenburg Airport began in the 1990s, and construction began in 2006. Until it finally opened in 2020, the design problems, construction delays, and cost overruns turned Brandenburg into a global comedic punching bag.
These days, Brandeburg is up and running, and by all reports, it’s a perfectly nice airport. But its legacy won’t be as a swish new piece of transportation infrastructure. Instead, the airport will be remembered for how long it took to build.
In the space of 80 odd years, that German efficiency which built Tempelhof and Tegal in quick time has gone. So too have Tempelhof and Tegal. Both are no longer operational airports.
Now, only Schönefeld and Brandeburg function as airports, facing each other off in the near distance.
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