Press­ Release

BER in operation
Smooth start with 3,000 passengers

On Sunday, 1 November 2020, regular operations began at Terminal 1 of Berlin Brandenburg Airport Willy Brandt (BER) with the first commercial departures. The new terminal was opened yesterday with the arrival of the first two aircraft operated by easyJet and Lufthansa. 

At 6.45 in the morning on Sunday, an easyJet aircraft took off for London Gatwick. In the course of the day, a total of 23 flights departed from the new Terminal 1. In addition to numerous easyJet connections to destinations across Europe, this also includes the first departures by Qatar Airways to Doha and Turkish Airlines to Istanbul. Overall, more than 3,000 passengers are expected on the first day of regular operations at Terminal 1. 

Today's take-offs mark the first of three steps in the relocation of airlines to BER. Airlines including Eurowings and Vueling will move to BER Terminal 1 on 4 November 2020. Further airlines, including in particular Lufthansa with Austrian, Swiss, and Brussels Airlines, will move in the third and final wave of relocations, following which Tegel Airport will close on 8 November. Passengers travelling between 1 and 8 November 2020 are kindly requested to check with their airline or on the BER website well ahead of their journey to confirm from which airport and terminal their flight will operate.

Engelbert Lütke Daldrup, CEO, Flughafen Berlin Brandenburg GmbH: “After yesterday's successful start of operations with the first arrivals at the new Terminal 1, this morning we handled the first departing passengers at BER. In a few days, the entire air traffic of the German capital region will be concentrated at the new airport. BER offers modern infrastructure in line with international standards and is thus well equipped to receive new services to all continents once the Coronavirus crisis is overcome.” 

Stephan Erler, Country Manager Germany, easyJet: “Following six months of trial operations, we are delighted that regular operations have commenced at BER. In addition to its retail offerings and spacious architecture as well as its good public transportation links, BER offers our customers a comfortable travel experience. For easyJet, the new airport means streamlined operational processes, as the Airbus fleet and our whole crew are now located under one roof, making flight operations even more efficient. We look forward to continuing to play an important role in the region and to connecting both the city of Berlin and the surrounding area with the major cities and holiday destinations in Europe for many more years to come.”

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