TXL to close temporarily from 15 June [apparently now remaining open till Nov '20]
May 2, 2020, 9:35 am
#46
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Berlin
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Has anything changed since I was last in Berlin? I was due to go in May but that won't be happening. Obviously the BA flights are non-schengen but they arrived in the A terminal and it was still a pleasure from landing to the taxi.
It's not the best airport to wait hours in but like LCY you don't need to get there too early.
I can imagine it's hell if you're not on a stand in A but I can see a future for a scaled back TXL with higher airport charges that'll serve shorthaul flights from passengers who appreciate the convenience of the location, a bit like LCY.
It's not the best airport to wait hours in but like LCY you don't need to get there too early.
I can imagine it's hell if you're not on a stand in A but I can see a future for a scaled back TXL with higher airport charges that'll serve shorthaul flights from passengers who appreciate the convenience of the location, a bit like LCY.
So unlike Terminal A which is shut, no gate-only operations like immigration, luggage belts, check-in security etc.. This is all centralised in Terminal C.
As mentioned on another thread civilian operations will likely move to SXF soon - their set-up is also everything centralised rather than gate-governed.
May 3, 2020, 1:24 am
#47
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If Lufthansa are prepared to go to court to keep TXL open at the moment then I think there must be significant reasons for that during the summer. I'm sure they know more than anyone here about projected traffic levels.
May 3, 2020, 1:32 am
#48
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as a "data point": „In Tegel werden zurzeit an einem Tag weniger als eintausend Passagiere abgefertigt“, sagte er. „Auf den Anzeigetafeln können wir derzeit die Flüge für drei Tage im Voraus anzeigen, früher war dort Platz für eine Stunde.“https://www.tagesspiegel.de/berlin/t.../25754174.html "in TXL there are 1000 pax per day. he (Lütke Daldrup, airport chief) told. on the display we can list flights for three days now.."
i dont see any reason not to close one of the two airports for 2 or 3 months. if you do, tell me.
May 3, 2020, 1:53 am
#49
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This makes sense, a mate who is a LH pilot told me that they are going to court to stop the closure of TXL! It's obviously to stop it in June rather than what I assumed was for later in the year which I found odd since LH have just told me a flight I'm booked on with them will now route FRA-BER rather than FRA-TXL.
I doubt even in lockdown mode there is capacity at SXF to handle the traffic over the summer.
I doubt even in lockdown mode there is capacity at SXF to handle the traffic over the summer.
May 3, 2020, 2:58 am
#52
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May 3, 2020, 4:57 am
#55
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With Germany already relaxing Lockdown rules and German domestic flights largely monpolised by Lufthansa Group at some of the highest margins in the industry, I am not sure that SXF capacity alone will be sufficient. Also, BER will almost certainly be more expensive to operate from than TXL and I’m sure LH would love to keep that pricing as long as possible.
May 3, 2020, 5:10 am
#56
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It will happen.
And given the great reduction in traffic, it's probably the best conditions to open a new airport. They have already planned to move airlines gradually, rather than all in one big bang as was the original plan from 2012. And given that TXL is likely to be closed to civilian traffic from June onwards, there is even a possibility that some airlines may begin operations from BER rather than the adjacent SXF ahead of the currently-planned opening dates.
May 3, 2020, 5:14 am
#57
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I think that TXL is very popular here and that it will be much missed. An airport by the way is somewhere to catch a means of transport, it should not be primarily a shopping and dining experience. If other airports retained that as the major reason for being they'd all be a much better experience.
May 3, 2020, 5:30 am
#58
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With Germany already relaxing Lockdown rules and German domestic flights largely monpolised by Lufthansa Group at some of the highest margins in the industry, I am not sure that SXF capacity alone will be sufficient. Also, BER will almost certainly be more expensive to operate from than TXL and I’m sure LH would love to keep that pricing as long as possible.
May 3, 2020, 7:23 am
#59
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May 3, 2020, 7:38 am
#60
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Slightly off topic, but if you at least want to explore Templehof, a group has been running tours of airport. I took the tour a little over a year ago and it was really fascinating. While it's not the same as actually traveling from there, you get to see a lot of places behind-the-scenes you couldn't have visited otherwise, and at least in my case our tour guide was passionately interested in its history. Tours aren't running right now of course, but it's well worth the experience when they're on again: https://www.thf-berlin.de/de/fuehrungen/
and its absolutely funny to walk/run/lustwalk over the runways and make aircraft noices.... vroooooooooom.
The Tempelhofer AIrfield is one of the "111 places in Berlin you must have seen". and a very diverse spot with different thinks to see. urban gardening, sports, dog parks, and even the "Freilandlabor Britz" has a dependance on the Tempelhofer Feld where school groups can discover the nature. IIRC there are birds building nests in the area that were nearly extinct several years ago....
