Berlin-Schönefeld International Airport
Encyclopedia
Berlin-Schönefeld Airport () is an international airport located near the town of Schönefeld
in Brandenburg
, directly at the southern border of Berlin
and 18 km (11.2 mi) southeast of the city centre. Schönefeld was the major civil airport of East Germany (GDR), and the only airport serving East Berlin
. Today, it is the smallest of the two Berlin airports.
Schönefeld Airport is situated outside the city proper, unlike Berlin Tegel Airport. Noise pollution
is, therefore, less of an issue at Schönefeld. This is the main reason that the airport will be transformed into Berlin Brandenburg Airport by 2012.
Schönefeld Airport saw a major increase in passenger numbers over the recent years, which was caused by the opening of a base for EasyJet
and Germanwings
. In 2008, the airport served 6.6 million passengers.
Berlin-Schönefeld airport was opened on 15 October 1934 to accommodate the Henschel
aircraft plant. By the end of the Second World War
, over 14,000 aircraft had been built. On 22 April 1945, the airport was occupied by Soviet
troops, and the aircraft construction facilities were either dismantled or blown up. By late 1947, the airport rail link
had been repaired and agricultural machinery was built and repaired on the site. In 1946, the Soviet Air Forces moved from Johannisthal Air Field
to Schönefeld, including the civil airline Aeroflot
. In 1947, the Soviet Military Administration in Germany
approved the construction of a civilian airport at the site. Between 1947 and 1990, Schönefeld airport was renamed on several occasions and finally became the main airport of the DDR (Zentralflughafen).
A stipulation of the Four Power Agreement
following World War II was a total ban on German carriers' participation in air transport to Berlin, where access was restricted to US, British, French and Soviet airlines. Since Berlin-Schönefeld airport was located outside of the city boundaries of Berlin, this restriction did not apply. Thus, German aircraft of the East German flag carrier Interflug
, could use Schönefeld airport, whilst West German Lufthansa
was denied access to Berlin-Tegel or Tempelhof airports.
Following the German reunification
in 1990, operating three separate airports became increasingly prohibitive, leading the Berlin City Council
to pursue a single airport that would be more efficient and would decrease the amount of aircraft noise
from the airport within the city. Therefore, it was decided to erect Berlin Brandenburg Airport at the current site of Schönefeld Airport, which is scheduled for opening in October 2012. The new airport will share only one runway with the existing one. Most of the old airport, including the terminal
and apron
areas, is intended to undergo a complete urban redevelopment
following its closure.
had its headquarters on the airport property.
Schönefeld
-Places in Germany:*Schönefeld, a municipality of Brandenburg near Berlin*Leipzig-Schönefeld, a quarter of Leipzig, Saxony*Schönefeld , a village in the town Beelitz, Brandenburg...
in Brandenburg
Brandenburg
Brandenburg is one of the sixteen federal-states of Germany. It lies in the east of the country and is one of the new federal states that were re-created in 1990 upon the reunification of the former West Germany and East Germany. The capital is Potsdam...
, directly at the southern border of Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
and 18 km (11.2 mi) southeast of the city centre. Schönefeld was the major civil airport of East Germany (GDR), and the only airport serving East Berlin
East Berlin
East Berlin was the name given to the eastern part of Berlin between 1949 and 1990. It consisted of the Soviet sector of Berlin that was established in 1945. The American, British and French sectors became West Berlin, a part strongly associated with West Germany but a free city...
. Today, it is the smallest of the two Berlin airports.
Schönefeld Airport is situated outside the city proper, unlike Berlin Tegel Airport. Noise pollution
Noise pollution
Noise pollution is excessive, displeasing human, animal or machine-created environmental noise that disrupts the activity or balance of human or animal life...
is, therefore, less of an issue at Schönefeld. This is the main reason that the airport will be transformed into Berlin Brandenburg Airport by 2012.
Schönefeld Airport saw a major increase in passenger numbers over the recent years, which was caused by the opening of a base for EasyJet
EasyJet
EasyJet Airline Company Limited is a British airline headquartered at London Luton Airport. It carries more passengers than any other United Kingdom-based airline, operating domestic and international scheduled services on 500 routes between 118 European, North African, and West Asian airports...
and Germanwings
Germanwings
Germanwings GmbH is a low-cost airline based in Cologne, Germany, and is wholly owned by Lufthansa. Cologne Bonn Airport, Stuttgart Airport and Berlin-Schönefeld Airport are the important hubs in the airline's network of approximately 70 destinations...
. In 2008, the airport served 6.6 million passengers.
History
Henschel & Son
Henschel & Son was a German company, situated in Kassel, best known during the 20th century as a maker of transportation equipment, including locomotives, trucks, buses and trolleybuses, and armoured fighting vehicles and weapons....
aircraft plant. By the end of the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, over 14,000 aircraft had been built. On 22 April 1945, the airport was occupied by Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
troops, and the aircraft construction facilities were either dismantled or blown up. By late 1947, the airport rail link
Airport rail link
An airport rail link is a service providing passenger rail transport from an airport to a nearby city; by mainline- or commuter trains, rapid transit, people mover or light rail...
had been repaired and agricultural machinery was built and repaired on the site. In 1946, the Soviet Air Forces moved from Johannisthal Air Field
Johannisthal Air Field
The Johannisthal Air Field, located 15 km southeast of Berlin, between Johannisthal and Adlershof, was Germany's first airfield. It opened on 26 September 1909, a few weeks after the world's first airfield at Rheims, France .-Overview:...
to Schönefeld, including the civil airline Aeroflot
Aeroflot
OJSC AeroflotRussian Airlines , commonly known as Aeroflot , is the flag carrier and largest airline of the Russian Federation, based on passengers carried per year...
. In 1947, the Soviet Military Administration in Germany
Soviet Military Administration in Germany
The Soviet Military Administration in Germany was the Soviet military government, headquartered in Berlin-Karlshorst, that directly ruled the Soviet occupation zone of Germany from the German surrender in May 1945 until after the establishment of the German Democratic Republic in October...
approved the construction of a civilian airport at the site. Between 1947 and 1990, Schönefeld airport was renamed on several occasions and finally became the main airport of the DDR (Zentralflughafen).
A stipulation of the Four Power Agreement
Four Power Agreement on Berlin
The Four Power Agreement on Berlin also known as the Berlin Agreement or the Quadripartite Agreement on Berlin was agreed on 3 September 1971 by the four wartime allied powers, represented by their Ambassadors...
following World War II was a total ban on German carriers' participation in air transport to Berlin, where access was restricted to US, British, French and Soviet airlines. Since Berlin-Schönefeld airport was located outside of the city boundaries of Berlin, this restriction did not apply. Thus, German aircraft of the East German flag carrier Interflug
Interflug
Interflug was the state airline of East Germany from 1963 to 1991, when it ceased operations following German reunification...
, could use Schönefeld airport, whilst West German Lufthansa
Lufthansa
Deutsche Lufthansa AG is the flag carrier of Germany and the largest airline in Europe in terms of overall passengers carried. The name of the company is derived from Luft , and Hansa .The airline is the world's fourth-largest airline in terms of overall passengers carried, operating...
was denied access to Berlin-Tegel or Tempelhof airports.
Following the German reunification
German reunification
German reunification was the process in 1990 in which the German Democratic Republic joined the Federal Republic of Germany , and when Berlin reunited into a single city, as provided by its then Grundgesetz constitution Article 23. The start of this process is commonly referred by Germans as die...
in 1990, operating three separate airports became increasingly prohibitive, leading the Berlin City Council
Abgeordnetenhaus von Berlin
The Abgeordnetenhaus of Berlin is the state parliament for the German state of Berlin, according to the state's constitution. The parliament is based at the building on Niederkirchnerstraße in Mitte which until 1934 was the seat of the lower house of the Preußischer Landtag...
to pursue a single airport that would be more efficient and would decrease the amount of aircraft noise
Aircraft noise
Aircraft noise is noise pollution produced by any aircraft or its components, during various phases of a flight: on the ground while parked such as auxiliary power units, while taxiing, on run-up from propeller and jet exhaust, during take off, underneath and lateral to departure and arrival paths,...
from the airport within the city. Therefore, it was decided to erect Berlin Brandenburg Airport at the current site of Schönefeld Airport, which is scheduled for opening in October 2012. The new airport will share only one runway with the existing one. Most of the old airport, including the terminal
Airport terminal
An airport terminal is a building at an airport where passengers transfer between ground transportation and the facilities that allow them to board and disembark from aircraft....
and apron
Airport ramp
The airport ramp or apron is part of an airport. It is usually the area where aircraft are parked, unloaded or loaded, refueled or boarded. Although the use of the apron is covered by regulations, such as lighting on vehicles, it is typically more accessible to users than the runway or taxiway...
areas, is intended to undergo a complete urban redevelopment
Urban renewal
Urban renewal is a program of land redevelopment in areas of moderate to high density urban land use. Renewal has had both successes and failures. Its modern incarnation began in the late 19th century in developed nations and experienced an intense phase in the late 1940s – under the rubric of...
following its closure.
Terminals
Schönefeld Airport has four terminals (A, B, C, D), though this only applies for check-in, as there is only one jointly used airside concourse.- The main building is the original part of the airport. It houses check-in for Terminals A and B. Terminal A features check-in counters A01–A18, with the largest user being RyanairRyanairRyanair is an Irish low-cost airline. Its head office is at Dublin Airport and its primary operational bases at Dublin Airport and London Stansted Airport....
. Terminal B, in a side wing, was originally reserved for transit passengers to and from West Berlin, who took advantage of cheaper air fares and package tours arranged by an East German travel agency. Nowadays, it is used exclusively by easyJet (check-in counters B20–B29), which gave it the name easyJet-Terminal. The airside consists of three jet bridges as well as several walk-boarding aircraft stands located at Pier 3a, an extension that was opened in 2005. - Terminal C was originally built to accommodate flights to IsraelIsraelThe State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. It was reconfigured in 2008 and now handles sightseeing trips and flights in connection with special events. Some flights are operated on a vintage raisin bomberRaisin bombersRaisin Bombers was the name Berliners gave to the transport aircraft of the Western Allies, which brought in supplies to the western half of the city of Berlin during the Berlin Blockade in 1949....
DC-3Douglas DC-3The Douglas DC-3 is an American fixed-wing propeller-driven aircraft whose speed and range revolutionized air transport in the 1930s and 1940s. Its lasting impact on the airline industry and World War II makes it one of the most significant transport aircraft ever made...
. - Terminal D was opened in December 2005 due to rapidly growing passenger numbers. Being nearly identical to Terminal C at Tegel Airport, it features check-in counters D40–D57, which are mainly used by Condor and Germanwings.
Airlines and destinations
Schönefeld Airport is served by the following scheduled airlines. On 3 June 2012 all services will be transferred to Berlin Brandenburg Airport:Cargo airlines
Other facilities
Before its demise, the airline company InterflugInterflug
Interflug was the state airline of East Germany from 1963 to 1991, when it ceased operations following German reunification...
had its headquarters on the airport property.
Public transport
- Schönefeld Airport is served by Berlin Schönefeld Flughafen railway station, a short walking distance away from the airport terminal. Berlin S-BahnBerlin S-BahnThe Berlin S-Bahn is a rapid transit system in and around Berlin, the capital city of Germany. It consists of 15 lines and is integrated with the mostly underground U-Bahn to form the backbone of Berlin's rapid transport system...
lines S9S9 (Berlin)S9 is a line on the Berlin S-Bahn. It operates from Schönefeld Flughafen to Berlin-Blankenburg station over:*a very short section of the Outer ring, opened in 1951 and electrified in 1983,...
and S45S45 (Berlin)S45 is a line on the Berlin S-Bahn. It operates from Schönefeld Flughafen to Hermannstraße over:*a very short section of the Outer ring, opened in 1951 and electrified in 1983,...
each run every twenty minutes. The RE AirportExpress train is the only direct link to the city centre of Berlin. It runs every 30 minutes, and stops at the most important stations of Berlin, including Berlin OstbahnhofBerlin OstbahnhofBerlin Ostbahnhof is a mainline railway station in Berlin, Germany. It is in Friedrichshain, now part of Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg district, and has undergone several name changes in its history. It was known as Berlin Hauptbahnhof from 1987 to 1998, a name now applied to Berlin's new central station...
, Alexanderplatz, Friedrichstrasse, Central StationBerlin Hauptbahnhof' , is the main railway station in Berlin, Germany. It began full operation two days after a ceremonial opening on 26 May 2006. It is located on the site of the historic Lehrter Bahnhof, and until it opened as a main line station, it was a stop on the Berlin S-Bahn suburban railway temporarily...
(after 30 minutes), and Zoologischer Garten railway stationBerlin Zoologischer Garten railway stationBerlin Zoologischer Garten station was the central transport facility in West Berlin during the division of the city, and thereafter for the western central area of Berlin until opening of the new Berlin Central Station on 28 May 2006...
. - The airport is linked by local BVGBerliner VerkehrsbetriebeThe is the main public transport company of Berlin, the capital city of Germany. It manages the city's U-Bahn underground railway, tram, bus and ferry networks, but not the S-Bahn urban rail system....
bus lines 162 (towards AdlershofAdlershof-External links:*...
) and 171 (towards NeuköllnNeuköllnNeukölln is the eighth borough of Berlin, located in the southeastern part of the city and was part of the former American sector under the Four-Power occupation of the city...
). At night, the underground replacement N7 bus is available. A dedicated DBDeutsche BahnDeutsche Bahn AG is the German national railway company, a private joint stock company . Headquartered in Berlin, it came into existence in 1994 as the successor to the former state railways of Germany, the Deutsche Bundesbahn of West Germany and the Deutsche Reichsbahn of East Germany...
express bus runs to Berlin SüdkreuzBerlin SüdkreuzBerlin Südkreuz is a railway station in the German capital Berlin. The station was originally opened in 1898 and is an interchange station...
. - Taxis take around 30 minutes to get to the city centre.
Accidents and incidents
- On 14 August 1972, an Ilyushin Il-62Ilyushin Il-62The Ilyushin Il-62 is a Soviet long-range jet airliner conceived in 1960 by Ilyushin. As successor to the popular turbo-prop Il-18 and with capacity for almost 200 passengers, the Il-62 was the largest jet airliner when it first flew in 1963. It entered Aeroflot service on 15 September 1967 with...
aircraft of Interflug (registration DM-SEA) enroute to Burgas AirportBurgas AirportBurgas International Airport , is the airport of Burgas , Bulgaria.In 2009, the airport handled 1,683,786 passengers. In 2010, it handled 1,872,618 passengers, a 11.2% increase compared to 2009.-Future plans and expansion:...
crashed shortly after take-off from Schönefeld Airport near Königs WusterhausenKönigs WusterhausenKönigs Wusterhausen is a town in the Dahme-Spreewald district of the state of Brandenburg in Germany.-Geographical location:Königs Wusterhausen – or "KW" as it is often called locally – lies on the Notte Canal and the river Dahme southeast of Berlin...
, killing all 156 passenger and crew on board. See Interflug Flight DM-SEAInterflug Flight DM-SEAThe 1972 Königs Wusterhausen air disaster occurred on 14 August when an Interflug airplane crashed shortly after take-off from Berlin-Schönefeld Airport on a holiday charter flight to Burgas...
. - On 22 November 1977, a Tupolev Tu-134Tupolev Tu-134The Tupolev Tu-134 is a twin-engined airliner, similar to the American Douglas DC-9 and the French Sud Aviation Caravelle, and built in the Soviet Union from 1966–1984. The original version featured a glazed-nose design and, like certain other Russian airliners , it can operate from unpaved...
aircraft of Interflug (registration DM-SCM) crashed upon landing at Schönefeld Airport due to a falsely configured autopilotAutopilotAn autopilot is a mechanical, electrical, or hydraulic system used to guide a vehicle without assistance from a human being. An autopilot can refer specifically to aircraft, self-steering gear for boats, or auto guidance of space craft and missiles...
. There were no fatalities among the 74 passenger and crew, but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair. - On 19 August 1978, LOT Polish Airlines Flight 165LOT Polish Airlines Flight 165 hijackingLOT Polish Airlines Flight 165 hijacking was the hijacking of a LOT Polish Airlines that occurred on August 30, 1978. The hijackers from East Germany were seeking political asylum in West Germany...
, a LOTLOT Polish AirlinesPolskie Linie Lotnicze LOT S.A. , trading as LOT Polish Airlines, is the flag carrier of Poland. Based in Warsaw, LOT was established in 1929, making it one of the world's oldest airlines still in operation. Using a fleet of 55 aircraft, LOT operates a complex network to 60 destinations in Europe,...
flight from Gdansk Airport to Schönefeld (carried out on a Tupolev Tu-134, registration SP-LGC),was hijacked and forced to land at Tempelhof Airport in West Berlin, thus having been used as a means for escaping the Eastern BlocEastern blocThe term Eastern Bloc or Communist Bloc refers to the former communist states of Eastern and Central Europe, generally the Soviet Union and the countries of the Warsaw Pact...
. In these cases, perpetrators were usually not charged by Western authorities. - On 12 December 1986, an Aeroflot Tupolev Tu-134 (registration CCCP-65795) coming from Minsk AirportMinsk International Airportthumb|300pix|Minsk National Airport location within the limits of Kastrychnitski District of MinskMinsk National Airport , , former name is Minsk-2, is the main international airport in Belarus, located 42 km to the east of the capital Minsk, geographically lying in the territory of...
crashed in Berlin-BohnsdorfBohnsdorfBohnsdorf is a district in the borough Treptow-Köpenick of Berlin, Germany. It is located in the south-east of the city.-Position:The locality is situated in the southeastern suburb of Berlin and borders with Altglienicke, Grünau, and with the municipality of Schönefeld, in the Brandenburg district...
on its approach towards Schönefeld airport, after having attempted to land on a runway that was temporary blocked for construction work, killing 72 of the 82 passengers and crew on board. - On 17 July 1989, an Ilyushin Il-62 aircraft of Interflug (registration DDR-SEW) bound for MoscowMoscowMoscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
crashed shortly after take-off into a field near the airport and caught fire. 21 people on board as well as one person on the ground were killed. The East German authorities feared an act of sabotage due to the anniversary of the 17 June 1953Uprising of 1953 in East GermanyThe Uprising of 1953 in East Germany started with a strike by East Berlin construction workers on June 16. It turned into a widespread anti-Stalinist uprising against the German Democratic Republic government the next day....
, which lead to a delayed aid for injured people. West German rescuers offering help were denied access to the scene. The cause for the accident was later given as a jammed rudder due to a construction failure. - On 28 March 2000, a Boeing 737-300Boeing 737 ClassicThe Boeing 737 Classic is the name given to the -300/-400/-500 series of the Boeing 737 following the introduction of the -600/-700/-800/-900 series. They are short- to medium- range, narrow-body jet airliners produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The Classic series was introduced as the 'new...
of GermaniaGermania (airline)Germania Fluggesellschaft mbH, operating as Germania, is an airline with its headquarters in Berlin, Germany. It operates scheduled and chartered flights and aircraft lease services...
(registration D-AGES) operating a charter flight on behalf of LTULTU InternationalLTU Lufttransport-Unternehmen GmbH was an airline based in Düsseldorf, Germany, now fully owned by Air Berlin. The initials stand for the German phrase LuftTransport-Unternehmen . It operated scheduled services on medium and long-haul routes, as well as charter services...
from Tenerife South AirportTenerife South AirportTenerife South Airport , previously known as Tenerife South-Reina Sofia Airport, is one of two international airports located on the island of Tenerife, the largest of the Canary Islands . Between its opening and the end of 2006, a total of 173,912,207 passengers passed through the airport...
to Berlin-Schönefeld was the subject of an attempted hijack in mid-flight. A passenger forced his way into the cockpit, where he attacked the pilot, leading to a sudden loss of altitude. The perpetrator was restrained and the flight continued to Berlin. - On 19 June 2010, Douglas DC-3Douglas DC-3The Douglas DC-3 is an American fixed-wing propeller-driven aircraft whose speed and range revolutionized air transport in the 1930s and 1940s. Its lasting impact on the airline industry and World War II makes it one of the most significant transport aircraft ever made...
D-CXXX of Berlin Air Services crashed2010 Berlin Air Services DC-3 crashOn 19 June 2010, a vintage Douglas C-47 Skytrain aircraft crashed shortly after take-off from Berlin Schönefeld Airport to a sightseeing flight over Berlin, which was operated by ', a provider of event flights...
shortly after take off on a local sightseeing flight.