HOLDING FOR
TAKE-OFF FROM “BER”
The New Berlin-Brandenberg “Willy Brandt” Airport
Opening
Delayed until 2016?
Well,
as all great plans of mice and men, the opening of the new BER has been
pushed back until sometime in 2016, maybe, due to fit and finish safety concerns. When
the time finally arrives, rather like a delayed flight - Berlin’s
capital city will open Europe’s newest major airport
- Berlin Brandenburg – with the designation BER. Berlins
two current operating airports Tegel and Schönefeld will shut
down permanently to commercial flights. The switch over was
supposed to
happen in one day, with all
Berlin flights landing and departing from the spanking brand new
airport on the day of the changeover, but airlines will have to
The opening of a new - single airport for Berlin has been considered
a prime step in Berlin’s reunification process which began
more than 20 years ago with the Fall of the Berlin Wall. The German
capital
will
finally have the major international gateway it has lacked up to
now. The terminal, jet ways, road connections, and operation-specific
buildings
have mostly been completed, but fit and finish work continues to
race to
opening. Basic test operations began in November of 2011. In order
to make a smooth transition on June 3, non-stop test runs with
security forces,
airline employees and ground crews to reveal the weak spots and
to remedy
potential problems.
The
Berlin-Brandenberg Airport has been built essetialy on the site
of the formerly East German Schönefeld Airport, formerly in the East
Germany area, to the south-east of the city. Work has been underway since
2006, with nearly 2,500 acres added to the old airport grounds, with the
new BER airport covering 3,675 acres, the equivalent of 2,000 football
fields, with a whole host of touted ultra-modern buildings, and infrastructure
designed to be as efficient as can be envisioned, BER will operate two
parallel runways at 5,800 feet apart, so they can be used for simultaneous
operation. The new airport Berlin-Brandenberg
BER for flight operations will be named for Willy Brandt, the former
mayor of West-Berlin and German Chancellor of the 1980s, Brandt was
one of the leading voices on the political left calling for reunification
of the two German states. He is considered to be the perfect namesake
for an airport that aims to re-establish Berlin’s legacy
as the portal between East and West.
Passengers
at the new airport will find everything ranging from German
domestic and Inter-European to International long-haul flights,
all departures
and arrivals from a single central terminal (“one roof concept”).
Featuring six floors, the terminal’s initial version is designed
to handle up to 27 million passengers per year. Future expansion modules
planned will allow the structure to eventually accommodate up to 45 million
passengers. But the new hub airport is not only designed to be ultra-efficient – but
it’s architects dispensed with fussiness and the BER layout, inspired
by the clean clarity and geometric line of the German “Bauhaus” style,
evoked in the timeless beauty of the 1926 Bauhaus in Dessau.
Getting To and From BER -
With accessibility a key factor, to make for the quickest and
most convenient commute into the city and beyond, trains will leave
from
the BER train
station just underneath the main terminal every 15 minutes. Travel
time to Berlin’s city center will be less than 30 minutes, with a cost
of around 3 Euros. If visitors choose to travel by car, around 10,000
parking spaces will be available, located right in front of the terminal.
Additionally,
a newly constructed network of access roads and highways will allow travelers
to reach Berlin’s city center in around 25 minutes. And good to
know: Berlins new airport BER will even have it’s own dedicated
cycle path to and from the city.
The celebrate the new airport, Germany’s two major airlines, Lufthansa and airberlin, will extend their flight operations from Berlin and open new routes from many European destinations as well as the U.S. (Los Angeles-LAX). Architecture fans and aviation buffs who want to follow the final stages of construction can participate in guided tours or take a fascinating look behind the scenes of the existing Schönefeld airport with the help of a live airport webcam. In addition, a 105 foot tall tower, offers views of the massive construction site, and later of the airport in operation. Reservations for tours can be found on the website, though currently the site is only in German or Polish. © Bargain Travel Europe
Find best hotel and vacation deals in Berlin on TripAdvisor
German
High Speed Train ICE
Booking Center
Web Info
Berlin
Airport
These articles are copyrighted and the sole property of Bargain Travel Europe and WLPV, LLC. and may not be copied or reprinted without permission. Photos courtesy Berlin Airports.
See Also:
KAISER WILHELM MEMORIAL CHURCH
CHECKPOINT CHARLIE WALL MUSEUM
