TXL to be closed "temporarily" on June 15th – is that good-bye EDDT?
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TXL to be closed "temporarily" on June 15th – is that good-bye EDDT?
Shareholders of Flughafengesellschaft Berlin today decided to close Berlin Tegel airport and let Schönefeld (SXF) handle the low number of flights during the current Covid–19 crisis. Berlin and Brandenburg governments as well as the federal government voted to temporarily lift Tegel's operation obligation. According to reports, TXL will cease operations on June 15th. All parties involved stress that is is supposed to be "preliminary".
But is it? With BER finally set to open on October 31, it's hard to see that Tegel will come back online at all. As you might guess from my handle on this humble forum, that is a sad day for me.
News report (German)
But is it? With BER finally set to open on October 31, it's hard to see that Tegel will come back online at all. As you might guess from my handle on this humble forum, that is a sad day for me.
News report (German)
The closing of Tegel will be final. This way they can use Corona to force airlines out of Tegel that wouldn't want to move otherwise.
SXF is cramped and run down and harder to reach than Tegel during rush hours except by train.
It's a strategic error to close all those airports for what will be two runways at EDDB for all the traffic including general aviation.
SXF is cramped and run down and harder to reach than Tegel during rush hours except by train.
It's a strategic error to close all those airports for what will be two runways at EDDB for all the traffic including general aviation.
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Well one did crash on approach to TXL in the sixties. I think PAA usually flew to Templehof at that time, at least that's where I went with them. I was based there for a while, to be honest not my favourite place. TXL had character, particularly the architecture, but also not always in a good way. The ground handling was at times a nightmare and taxy routes could be tiresome particularly by way of the bridge, which had quite an interesting incline.
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Tegel was set to be closed the moment the second runway of BER was in operation – that had been decided years ago. This can be expected on November 8th. What I thought is peculiar that they insist on the closure being "temporary" now, when everybody with a sane mind knows it's probably time for last rites.
Or would it make sense to re-open the airport for a couple of weeks? I don't see airline travel recovering to a point that SXF couldn't handle the load anytime soon. There are around 2000 passengers per day traveling through TXL and SXF combined right now.
Or would it make sense to re-open the airport for a couple of weeks? I don't see airline travel recovering to a point that SXF couldn't handle the load anytime soon. There are around 2000 passengers per day traveling through TXL and SXF combined right now.
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Well one did crash on approach to TXL in the sixties. I think PAA usually flew to Templehof at that time, at least that's where I went with them. I was based there for a while, to be honest not my favourite place. TXL had character, particularly the architecture, but also not always in a good way. The ground handling was at times a nightmare and taxy routes could be tiresome particularly by way of the bridge, which had quite an interesting incline.
TXL is the only working airport in Berlin that can handle the full capacity needed. If they now close it before BER is open they again gamble. If this goes wrong again they are f......and well deserved. TXL Airlines must be pissed to move at least one more time now. This can so much backfire. I hope they get BER going finally.
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A Tegel incident a little before my time but I later knew and/or flew with every one of the players. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
And I recently corresponded with an TXL flight ops office worker who was also onboard. She said the trainee at the controls was somewhat less arrogant after the episode when he came in to file his hypo tax paperwork.
And I recently corresponded with an TXL flight ops office worker who was also onboard. She said the trainee at the controls was somewhat less arrogant after the episode when he came in to file his hypo tax paperwork.
Now, this is no s**t. Or, should I say, once upon a time... 
Three [and a half] decades ago a U.S. airline was doing a captain's rating ride in a steam driven 737 in Berlin. The instructor was the head 737 check airman and the FAA was on the jumpseat observing. Due to the restricted Cold War airspace the required airwork was done in a tight pattern near TXL. A reject, a V1 cut and some bounces back at Tegel went well and the crew set up for the traditional no-flap full stop landing to complete the ride.
The gear warning horn circuit breaker was pulled and the trap was set.
They forgot to lower the gear as the check airman pointed out how difficult it was to decelerate on path in the low drag flapless configuration even with idle thrust.
The PF in the left seat realized in the flare that the already nose high picture was settling too low and pushed the power up just as things started to scrape. Hydraulic components were torn off the bottoms of the JT-8D engine nacelles and they did a manual reversion missed approach. And manual gear extension followed by landing with pneumatic braking.
The FAA guy was a furloughee from the airline so the incident was handled locally with discretion in the pre-social media era to protect the careers of all concerned.
Years later I worked with the PF's training partner, Dale C., who was riding back in the cabin during the gear up touch and go. He was of the opinion that there was little deceleration during the runway contact and if they had not gone flying again they would have ended up in a fireball in the congested area east of the runway.
Three [and a half] decades ago a U.S. airline was doing a captain's rating ride in a steam driven 737 in Berlin. The instructor was the head 737 check airman and the FAA was on the jumpseat observing. Due to the restricted Cold War airspace the required airwork was done in a tight pattern near TXL. A reject, a V1 cut and some bounces back at Tegel went well and the crew set up for the traditional no-flap full stop landing to complete the ride.
The gear warning horn circuit breaker was pulled and the trap was set.
They forgot to lower the gear as the check airman pointed out how difficult it was to decelerate on path in the low drag flapless configuration even with idle thrust.
The PF in the left seat realized in the flare that the already nose high picture was settling too low and pushed the power up just as things started to scrape. Hydraulic components were torn off the bottoms of the JT-8D engine nacelles and they did a manual reversion missed approach. And manual gear extension followed by landing with pneumatic braking.
The FAA guy was a furloughee from the airline so the incident was handled locally with discretion in the pre-social media era to protect the careers of all concerned.
Years later I worked with the PF's training partner, Dale C., who was riding back in the cabin during the gear up touch and go. He was of the opinion that there was little deceleration during the runway contact and if they had not gone flying again they would have ended up in a fireball in the congested area east of the runway.
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When romance meets reality, reality should win. Seems like a perfect time in an imperfect world to do it. Billions of dollars are being lost every week, a common sense decision this is.
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Berlin had its moments. Last seconds of a flight and a glance right to a woman beating her rug on the brickwork of her verandah. Focuses the mind, that does.
Bullets trump CB's. Stay on centreline. (we can still say, trump, can't we?)
Bullets trump CB's. Stay on centreline. (we can still say, trump, can't we?)
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Probably the worst possible timing for the "temporary" closure. BER is not ready yet, however the airlines are beginning to restart their service beginning in june, which of course will play havoc with those servicing TXL. SXF is a mess to begin with. A real temporary closure would have made sense in april and may, but the relevant minister was against it, precisely to keep the military side working as that is used to provide transportation to the government and other political staff.
Anyway, at the moment the closure is not a finite thing yet, it is just a possibility. One thing is for sure, the civil side will close latest on November 8th anyway, the transition to BER was planned to start at October 31st. BER terminal 1 is certified now, but is not yet ready for opening, not to mention the public transport plans to the new terminal as well as other infrastructure still needs a few months until they operate normally.
That said, in a referendum the majority of berlin inhabitants were very much in favor of keeping TXL open even after BER opens, as one airport is not really enough for the city. I know airline planners have a major headache about mass diversions in case of a closure of BER, as the alternate situation, especially close to the night curfew, is not all that easy.
Anyway, at the moment the closure is not a finite thing yet, it is just a possibility. One thing is for sure, the civil side will close latest on November 8th anyway, the transition to BER was planned to start at October 31st. BER terminal 1 is certified now, but is not yet ready for opening, not to mention the public transport plans to the new terminal as well as other infrastructure still needs a few months until they operate normally.
That said, in a referendum the majority of berlin inhabitants were very much in favor of keeping TXL open even after BER opens, as one airport is not really enough for the city. I know airline planners have a major headache about mass diversions in case of a closure of BER, as the alternate situation, especially close to the night curfew, is not all that easy.
