Berlin Brandenburg
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: attitude is nominal
Posts: 1,315
It's not a Lufthansa airframe. During the wall it flew in, N-registered, as a political reminder that Lufthansa had some interest in going to Berlin. It had been some strange Boeing "gift" to Lufthansa. The livery used to be Lufthansa but not true to the original.
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Berlin
Age: 53
Posts: 83
That's the second time I'm reading about that sexy ATC controller in a TXL related thread after lederhosen mentioned it here. She must have left quite an impression.

Psychophysiological entity
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Tweet Rob_Benham Famous author. Well, slightly famous.
Age: 81
Posts: 4,932
I thought it was Tempelhof that had the underground aircraft manufacturing workshops. Many floors of them. However, I've just read a long item and that was not mentioned.
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Geneva, Switzerland
Age: 55
Posts: 1,706
What was / is in the flooded Tempelhof basements is anyone's guess and we will probably never know.
As for TXL I am also one of those regretting it. It was a truly unique place with definite drawbacks but also incredibly convenient.
Just wondering - is Easyjet not a LCC anymore
? I understand they are operating from "BER proper", not T5 ... ?
As for TXL I am also one of those regretting it. It was a truly unique place with definite drawbacks but also incredibly convenient.
Just wondering - is Easyjet not a LCC anymore

Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Berlin
Age: 53
Posts: 83
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: London UK
Posts: 6,670
Contrary to much belief by journalists, BER is not a new airport, just an expansion of the Schonefeld site, so I don't quite get this "first landing". The north runway is the old Schonefeld main runway. In fact the new BER terminal is notably closer to that runway than the old Schonefeld terminal, which is rather a dogleg of a taxy away.
The new south runway also seems less convenient to the new terminal than the old Schonefeld runway, with a lengthy taxy to the west end (a German airport feature, though not as extreme as the northern runway at Frankfurt), so I suspect there will be many requests to use the old one anyway as much as possible.
The new south runway also seems less convenient to the new terminal than the old Schonefeld runway, with a lengthy taxy to the west end (a German airport feature, though not as extreme as the northern runway at Frankfurt), so I suspect there will be many requests to use the old one anyway as much as possible.
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: attitude is nominal
Posts: 1,315
Legally you are correct however Schönefeld's terminal had been intended to be closed and torn down for some new government VIP area and hangar space until recently. Now they keep on using it as separate "BER Terminal 5" for Ryanair and others.
Today's BER northern runway had been Schönefeld's former southern runway but it has been rebuilt since from scratch being a part of BER. One of the earliest parts being completed. Like the new BER tower that has been operating for years having met the original schedule.
Today's BER northern runway had been Schönefeld's former southern runway but it has been rebuilt since from scratch being a part of BER. One of the earliest parts being completed. Like the new BER tower that has been operating for years having met the original schedule.
Last edited by Less Hair; 1st Nov 2020 at 12:59.
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: London UK
Posts: 6,670
The old northern runway at Schonefeld would have been a marginally useful addition to a key national airport, especially in snowy conditions (like Helsinki has three, so they can always keep one going in rotation). Quite why it was actually dug up and returned to grassland is not apparent. One result was that Schonefeld was reduced to a single runway airport. When it was reconstructed for the new arrangement, the new BER southern runway was brought into use, in 2015 I read, so quite how we can have a "first landing" when both the BER runways have been in use for years, in varying combinations, is not apparent. I'll put it down to something lost in translation. Although calling the old Schonefeld terminal the "new" BER Terminal 5 is notably being economical with the truth.
I haven't seen how the S-Bahn train now is organised with the split between terminal areas with separate stations. The frequent S-Bahn from Schonefeld station direct to the cross-city east-west line with all its stations through the city was notably more convenient than any transport option Tegel offered.
I haven't seen how the S-Bahn train now is organised with the split between terminal areas with separate stations. The frequent S-Bahn from Schonefeld station direct to the cross-city east-west line with all its stations through the city was notably more convenient than any transport option Tegel offered.
Last edited by WHBM; 1st Nov 2020 at 13:17.
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: attitude is nominal
Posts: 1,315
Legally the southern runway will start ops on November 4. What we see now -and have seen in the past- is special permit traffic. This is why the parallel landing opening on Saturday had to be cancelled due to IMC finally.
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Munich, Germany
Age: 77
Posts: 124
Just being curious I checked today´s departures since 6 a.m.. About 90% are EasyJet and Ryanair, some Wizz, but no Lufthansa flight. May be this is the direction BER is going. No doubt this is going to change in the days to come. Not all can be blamed to Convid-19, it looks like there is a tendency.
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Berlin
Age: 53
Posts: 83
I really don't get the "first touchdown was years ago" nitpicking here. While that might physically be the same runway, those flights were going to SXF. Same goes for the southern runway, which was in use on a special permit for a short time only while the northern runway was being redone. Yesterday's LH & EZY flights were the first two destined for BER ever.
And SXF Nordbahn had been closed and partly demolished in 2007 because they build an Autobahn through there.
And SXF Nordbahn had been closed and partly demolished in 2007 because they build an Autobahn through there.
Last edited by txl; 1st Nov 2020 at 20:18.