Berlin is a special city. Indeed, in Soviet times, it was divided between the two countries. The eastern part was the capital of the now defunct German Democratic Republic. West Berlin, surrounded on all sides by the GDR, had a special status. Based on this, even then the city needed two airports. So, in West Berlin in 1948 it was built, and in 1960 the Tegel international hub became available for civil aviation. It still works and bears the name of Otto Lilienthal (Flughafen Berlin-Tegel Otto Lilienthal). For the capital of the GDR, East Berlin, in the same years, its own air harbor was built. It was named after the town near which it is located. This article is dedicated to this second, smaller, and passenger flow international airport in Berlin, Schönefeld. Where it is located, how many terminals there are and how to get to the city center or to the Tegel hub - about all this and not only read below.
History
We have already briefly covered the prerequisites for creating an air harbor for East Berlin. But it arose in 1948 not from scratch. Back in 1934, the Henschel plant began to operate in Schönefeld, on which more than fourteen thousand aircraft were built before the end of World War II. In April 1945, he was captured by Soviet troops. All that could not be taken to the USSR, the winners blew up. But already in 1946, after a series of political agreements, the new authorities decided to develop what was left of the industrial facilities of the aircraft factory. Three runways were restored and rail service resumed. In 1947, the Order of the Soviet Military Administration on the construction of the Berlin-Schönefeld civil airport was issued. It was erected in record time. Later, until 1990, this hub was repeatedly rebuilt, modernized and expanded.
Present and future
When the Berlin Wall fell and all of Germany united into one country, difficult times came for Schönefeld. The main airline of the GDR, Interflyug, which considered this airport to be the base airport, ceased to exist. The remaining carriers preferred to take off and land in a more comfortable, large and modern Tegel. Berlin Schönefeld Airport until 2003 was used for charter flights. This period ended when low-bonfires entered the stage of international flights. Budget companies such as EasyJet, Ryanair, Private Wings and Condor Flygdinst began to consider Berlin-Schönefeld as their base airport. Passenger traffic as a result increased to 18 million people a year. But back in 1996, the federal authorities decided to build a new hub near Schönefeld. Opening of the international airport Berlin-Brandenburg. Willy Brandt is scheduled for 2017. After that, Tegel and Schönefeld will be closed. But until this happens, let's look at the amenities in the eastern hub of the German capital.
Berlin-Schönefeld Airport: terminals and facilities
The air harbor complex consists of four terminals. Two of them - A and B - are in the main building. Schönefeld Airport is still mainly used by low cost airlines. Therefore, terminal A is placed at the disposal of Ryanair Airlines, and B serves exclusively IzJet low-cost fires. C was created for flights to Israel, and is now used for special flights and charters. Terminal D, which opened in 2005, was designed to help the first three unload large passenger traffic. He mainly serves low-cost airlines such as the Norwegian Air Shuttle and Condor. Despite the workload, all procedures at the airport are quick, with German punctuality. All amenities are provided. There is a VAT refund point, many catering outlets, shops (including duty-free), ATMs, a first-aid post, a mother and child’s room.
Where to fly from Schönefeld
Despite the fact that the air harbor is chosen by low-costers, liners of quite respectable airlines also land here. So, Aeroflot planes (from Moscow-Sheremetev and St. Petersburg) arrive here from Russia. All flights are displayed on the scoreboard. Berlin-Schönefeld receives planes from Egypt, Belarus, Ukraine, France, Israel, Tunisia, Greece, not to mention charters that go to the most diverse resorts in the world. Needless to say, this hub serves as a stop for trips around Germany.
How to get from Schönefeld Airport to Berlin
The air harbor is located 18 kilometers southeast of the city center. Getting to Berlin by taxi is easy. But a trip in time will take as much as on a train, and will cost about 60 euros. There are other, more affordable options for getting from the center to Berlin-Schönefeld. There are as many as eight day and two night bus routes that run from different parts of the city to the airport. If you focus on speed, you can get to Berlin by Airport Express train as quickly as possible. He arrives at the main station, and another express train departs from there - to Tegel Airport. From the Flughafen Berlin Schoenefeld train station, which is located at the terminals, regional trains S9 and S45 leave.