Countdown to closure

Tempelhof Airport in Berlin is a historically important facility, but it faces its final curtain this week when it closes for business. Aviation journalist Mark Broadbent is saddened that such a facility could be lost to the aviation world.

Eminent British architect Sir Norman Foster called it “the mother of all airports” – but time has caught up with Berlin’s historic Tempelhof Airport.

The iconic airport is being closed this week as the first step in the modernisation of Berlin’s airport system. A new airport – to be known as Berlin-Brandenburg International (BBI) – is being built at the existing Schonefeld, to the city’s southeast, replacing Tempelhof and the current main hub at Tegel.

Tempelhof’s closure has proved controversial for both historic and operational reasons. The airport was built by the Nazis in the 1930s as part of the plan to create a new capital, Germania. Its impressive scale, with its crescent-shaped 365m (1,200ft)-long terminal building, limestone facade and a sweeping, overhanging canopy designed to shelter aircraft and passengers from adverse weather, was a statement of the Nazis’ grand plans. Post-World War Two, Tempelhof was a key staging post in the Berlin Airlift as American and British aircraft kept the city supplied for 13 months after the Soviet blockade of road and rail connections. 

Living history

Tempelhof, then, is a living symbol of 20th century European history – and many Berliners were understandably aghast at last December’s decision to close it. In April over 530,000 residents voted to keep Tempelhof open in a referendum. A “Save Tempelhof” campaign was launched that attracted support from the German chancellor Angela Merkel, who said at the time, “The continued operation of Tempelhof isn’t just significant to the economy and to jobs, for many people and to me personally, this airport is a symbol of the city’s history.”

The “Save Tempelhof” campaigners also forwarded an operational reason for keeping the historic airfield open – its proximity to the city centre. Berlin’s Chamber of Commerce believes Tempelhof could be developed like London City Airport in the UK. Malte Pereira from the ICAT campaign group said, “It's attractive to business travellers, with the government and business districts so nearby. Tempelhof can bring economic power and jobs to this city.”

A question of money

Such emotional and logical appeals have fallen on deaf ears – partly on financial grounds. It costs Euro 9 million (US$11.2 million) to keep Tempelhof’s ageing facilities open each year, and with Tegel as Berlin’s main gateway, the number of flights is negligible (only 300,000 passengers passed through in 2007). The key driver in the decision, however, is global competition. Tempelhof’s closure and BBI’s development underlines the impact the growing Middle Eastern and Asian hubs have had on capacity, customer service and transport connections. There is a clear reason to ensure airports maintain competitiveness – Berlin’s authorities recognise this, hence BBI.

And so, 70 years of history will end with a ceremony attended by Berlin’s mayor and 800 guests. The future for the site is unclear. There are several options on the table, such as a new park and business centre or even a sustainable eco-city.

Tempelhof’s terminal building has listed status and will remain as a monument to a poignant past.
 

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