Berlin Tegel
Airport

2021

On 4 May 2021, midnight, the operating permit for TXL ends, Tegel Airport is no longer a commercial airport. According to the notice on the revocation of the operating permit by the Senate, Tegel must be closed after six months after the southern runway of BER has been put into operation. Air traffic at Tegel ended on 8 November 2020 with the last take-off of an Air France aircraft to Paris, after which the airport was in a "dormant state". All flight operations functions remained, but aircraft no longer took off or landed there. The airport site with its 130 buildings and facilities will be completely returned to the owners, the state of Berlin and the federal government, by the beginning of August 2021. The Tegel-Projekt GmbH is responsible for the subsequent use of the airport site.

2020

The corona pandemic paralyses global air traffic and poses unprecedented challenges to all parties involved. Lockdowns and travel restrictions around the world freeze operations at the beginning of the year and not only at Tegel. The effects of COVID-19 are clearly noticeable in the first half of the year: compared to the previous year, around 70 per cent fewer passengers are handled by August – almost 5 million passengers use Tegel Airport.
Tegel Airport will be closed with the commissioning of Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER): on 8 November 2020 an Air France aircraft took off for the last time from the airport in north-west Berlin.

2019

The airport location in Berlin records a record number of passengers for the ninth time in a row. A record number is also achieved at Tegel with 24.2 million passengers.

2018

Passenger volume continues to grow and increases to around 22 million passengers. At the same time, easyJet significantly expands its presence in Berlin and lands at Tegel for the first time in January 2018.

2017

On 27 October, airberlin, until then the largest airline in Berlin, ceases flight operations. Air Berlin's insolvency has only a slight effect on passenger numbers: Just under 20.5 million passengers fly to and from Tegel this year.

2016

New flight connections from Tegel. A total of 81 airlines now connect Berlin and Brandenburg with 177 destinations in 54 countries.

2015

The south runway is refurbished, the sprinkler tank is replaced and a new cooling system for a pleasant climate in the passenger terminals.

2014

Berlin Tegel celebrates its 40th birthday. The airport has preserved its trademark over the years and continues to stand for short routes and easy travel.

2013

Berlin air traffic records record growth of handled passengers. At Tegel, figures rise by almost 8 percent to 19.5 million passengers.

2012

The airport will remain in operation until the opening of the Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) and this year, it will record over 18.1 million passengers.

2011

With a passenger volume of 16.9 million passengers, the airport will be further expanded: another 1,200 square metre handling area is being built at Terminal C as a lightweight construction with space for three aircraft.

2010

Air Berlin continues to develop Tegel Airport into its hub.

2009

In September, an extension to Terminal C is put into operation. The building is used for a majority of non-Schengen traffic to Russia and Turkey.

2008

For the first time, there are direct flights from Tegel to Beijing. In total, almost 14.5 million passengers are handled at the airport. Meanwhile, the "Tegel Project Group" is working on proposals for the subsequent use of the site. A research and industrial park with green technologies of the future is to be built. In addition, residential buildings, nature and forest areas are to be built on the site.

1996

The shareholders Berlin, Brandenburg and the Federal Government decide to build Berlin Brandenburg International Airport (BBI), today Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER), on the area of Schönefeld Airport. Tegel and Tempelhof airports will be closed in return.

1990

As part of German reunification, all restrictions for the Berlin airspace are lifted and German airlines can now fly to Tegel.

1975

Tegel becomes Berlin’s most important passenger airport

1968

Tempelhof Airport reaches maximum capacity, and from 1968 on many charter flight airlines move their services to Tegel.

1964

Pan American World Airways (PanAm) commences regular commercial flights to Tegel.

1960

Air France starts the first regular commercial service to Tegel.

1948

Slightly more than a month after the start of the Berlin blockade, the French occupied forces agree to the construction of a new airport in their sector, which is to help the Berlin Airlift. In a record time of only 90 days an airport is built on the former military training site; it has a runway of 2428 metres, which at the time was the longest in Europe. The first aircraft lands here on 5 November 1948.

1945

The site and all buildings on it are severely damaged by bombs. The local authorities plan to establish an allotment colony here to alleviate the housing shortage in Berlin.

1939

During the Second World War the former rocket testing ground becomes a military training ground for the air force.

1933

The Tegel rocket testing site is forced to close due to an unpaid water bill.

1930

A rocket-testing facility is built at Tegel for developing and testing liquid fuel rockets.

1919

The Treaty of Versailles prohibits Germany from having armed aircraft. Work in Tegel stops and the airship hangar built in 1906 is demolished.

1914

The area becomes a military training ground for aerial reconnaissance crews.

1906

An airship hangar is built.

1896

Barracks are built in Jungfernheide for an airship battalion, and experiments start on various designs for dirigibles (Parseval and Groß-Basenach type airships).

1823

The forests of Charlottenburg and Tegel are merged to form the estates of Tegeler Forst and Jungfernheide. Later, Tegel is used as an artillery firing range for the military.