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Berlin has said goodbye to the central Tegel airport in the German capital, loved by some and vilified by others, as it shifts all air traffic to a new hub on the outskirts of the city.
On Saturday, airlines moved their last planes parked at Tegel to Berlin’s new Brandenburg Willy Brandt airport, which finally opened at the end of October nine years late and well above its original budget.
The last scheduled flight took off on Sunday afternoon (local time) from Tegel, an Air France plane to Paris, a tribute to the first commercial flight from the airport made by the airline 60 years ago.
During the Cold War, when Berlin was divided into French, American, British and Soviet sectors, each had its own airport.
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Michael Kappeler / AP
The Tegel Airport Fire Brigade sprays water fountains on the last Air France Airbus.
The oldest, the Tempelhof airport in the US sector, closed in 2008 and its main area is now a park. The British Gatow Airport was closed in 1994, and the Soviet Schoenefeld Airport, located in the surrounding state of Brandenburg in what was communist East Germany, was expanded to the new so-called BER.
Tegel, a site used for aircraft in the early 20th century and later an air force training area during the Nazi era, was quickly built in 1948 in response to the Soviet blockade of West Berlin, when the Western Allies had to supply the city completely by air.
It became a critical center for the Berlin Airlift operation, which was able to break the Soviet blockade in 1949, a key moment in the Cold War that demonstrated the determination of the Western Allies to stand by West Germany’s side.
The first commercial flights began in 1960, when Air France began regular service to Tegel.
Paul Zinken / AP
Hundreds of people watch and photograph the final flight from Tegal.
However, the Tegel facilities had been taxed by increased traffic to Berlin after German reunification when the city became the capital again. Residents of the area frequently complained of noise, and its runways were also unable to handle the larger jumbo jets typically used for long-haul flights, meaning that travelers from Berlin would generally have to transfer in Frankfurt or other hubs. before flying to North America or further afield.
Fabian Sommer / AP
Dramatic and outdated, but beloved for its convenience and quirky hexagonal design, Berlin’s Tegel Airport will finally close for good on November 8 after more than 60 years.
However, it was well liked by business travelers and many others for its convenient location near the city center and its compact design that meant passengers could disembark from a flight, collect their luggage, and be in a taxi within a few minutes. dozens of meters.
The city government planned to close it in 2011, but delays in opening the BER forced it to be kept open.
John MACDOUGALL / AP
Spectators watch an Air France plane bound for Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport before the last take off from Tegel Airport.
Most Berliners voted in a non-binding referendum in 2017 to keep Tegel open, but the city said the result could not be implemented for legal and financial reasons.
The city now plans to convert the facility into an industrial and research park for urban technology in the future.
However, as a precaution in case there are more problems to solve at the new airport, Tegel will remain operational as a backup for another half year, but no more flights are planned.
Fabian Sommer / AP
Lufthansa’s last flight from Tegel airport.
