About Berlin Airport
Berlin’s security response is extensive. The security fence between the German capital and Berlin Airport, near the northern railway station, runs alongside the city’s river embankment. Once the passengers are inside the fence, cameras monitor every corner of the airport and can instantly call for help to handle an emergency. Once inside the airport building, travelers have to go through scanners and can only access areas with ticket counters, where they are only required to carry identification cards. The Federal Police conduct extra checks and security audits on all aircraft, and German officials inspect all baggage and freight travelling to and from Berlin Airport.
The German federal police alone has a long list of regulations and rules. Individuals that enter Germany or come in contact with German citizens are required to keep up with a daily report of their whereabouts, carry a passport, and carry their identity card with them at all times. The police checks on individuals are further increased when they are traveling to or through Germany, for example by forcing travelers to show their passport, residence permit, identity card and stay within a city limit. If a foreigner fails to provide such documentation within a designated time, the police may demand them to prove their identity. During that time, they are only allowed to leave their hotel in the presence of the police officer.
Visitors will notice strict rules at the airport and the clear identification standards at the checkpoints. Passengers arriving at Berlin’s airports will have to keep their identity cards on them at all times and keep them with them at all times. They will also have to show them to airport officials at the entrance to each terminal. As for the new flights to the capital, the passengers will be subject to baggage searches and may be subjected to additional security checks after they have landed at Berlin’s international airport. The German capital has already installed strict security measures at its airports, but Germany’s increased security measures in recent years have also resulted in a reduction in human liberties. In September 2021, a decree went into effect that requires people to cooperate with police in cases of terrorist attacks, otherwise they will be subject to penalties of up to €10,000.
Even with the adjustment in security procedures, flights to and from Berlin will operate on a regular schedule, and authorities are convinced that the changes will have no impact on the airport’s functioning. The airport will be closed after the last flights of the day on September 4, so that German authorities can arrange the new security measures.
History of Berlin’s Airport
Berlin-Brandenburg Airport was founded as an airport for commercial and passenger flights in the summer of 1948. Its first flight to the German capital was made by the German Luftwaffe, during the World War II, on September 25, 1944. One year later, a regular passenger flight operated from Berlin to Prague via Frankfurt, while another flight flew directly from the German capital to Hamburg. The construction of Berlin’s new airport required an extensive process and several shifts, since all equipment used was previously used at the German capital’s existing airports. The German Luftwaffe performed the first flight to the German capital on September 25, 1944, during World War II. By the summer of 1948, the airport in Berlin had been completed. The Berlin air force lost several planes to Soviet fighters before the Berlin air force could deploy to the airport. By 1963, the airport began operating for commercial flights and it served approximately 500,000 people in the first year of operation. With a construction value of 623 million Deutsche Marks, Berlin’s airport was the most expensive airport construction in history, including the construction of Berlin’s other airports Schönefeld and Stuttgart. When the Berlin air force was stationed at Berlin’s central air base at Brandenburg, the existing airfields were renamed Berlin-Brandenburg Airbase. The air force began to move to the airbase in 1962. At the end of September 1963, the first commercial flight operated from Berlin’s central airbase to Athens. The air force’s flights to Athens were temporarily suspended after the Soviet Union decided to close the airfield for military flights. On September 26, 1965, German parliament gave the authorities permission to rename the airfield Berlin-Brandenburg Airport, which also became the permanent name of the facility.
Since the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, the airport has been a major hub for the German airlines Lufthansa, Germanwings, and Eurowings. The airports in Berlin and Hamburg have regularly had over 50 percent of their entire passenger traffic passing through Berlin’s airport. During the first quarter of 2021, more than 26.7 million passengers passed through Berlin’s airport, which is an increase of more than 8 percent compared to the same period last year.
Subsequent Growth and Development
Today, Berlin’s airport is one of the major European airports and it is responsible for facilitating over 15 percent of all international passenger traffic in Germany and for 25 percent of all air traffic within Europe. The airport currently has regular flights to over 100 destinations worldwide, including all major international hubs and major cities in Germany. The airport’s central location means it is the only major international airport within a 50-kilometer radius.
During the first half of 2021, Berlin’s airport served a total of 63.5 million passengers, including 23.3 million from domestic flights and 40.3 million from international flights. The airport has the largest duty-free shopping area in Europe, including the three biggest airports in Germany, along with the largest shopping centre in the region. The new central location of the airport will allow more international flights and a lower load factor.
During the next decades, Berlin’s airport will expand and the modernization process will continue until it reaches the necessary capacity in the near future. The Berlin airport’s central location will help it attract a greater number of passengers from other regions. The airport is developing its own transit network and other new passenger transportation services. The airport expects its transit traffic to increase to around 90,000 passengers by 2021.
About Dubai Airport
The United Arab Emirates’ Dubai Airport is the busiest airport on the Arabian Peninsula. It’s home to the largest passenger and cargo hub in the world, and it serves more than 220 flights to 62 international destinations (including six domestic destinations), carrying more than 80 million passengers annually.
All foreign flights departing from Dubai Airport are subjected to full security screening, while all domestic flights departing from Dubai City Airport are subjected to full security screening. Dubai Airport is open to international flights up to 23,000 feet, and there’s no restriction on flying up to the maximum destination height of 25,000 feet.
Dubai City is the UAE’s second-largest city. It’s about four times the size of Dubai Airport and has nine airports, making it a transit airport. Dubai City Airport is just six miles from Dubai International Airport, and it’s within 30 minutes of Dubai’s city center by the Airport Express Train.
Designed to serve the city’s huge passenger and cargo capacity, Dubai City Airport is a terminal-based airport. It features an average hourly capacity of 2,200 departing flights, with 30-minute security screening (on certain international routes).
Flight Range
New York City and Dubai’s flight schedules are set up similarly to New York City and Abu Dhabi’s flight schedules. Dubai is one of only two international airports in the world with a daily passenger terminal with planes arriving from six different countries and airports. Dubai’s flight schedule is based on the airlines’ flight schedules.
While Dubai City Airport is convenient for international flight arrivals, Dubai International Airport is much more convenient for international flight departures. Dubai International Airport has a flight schedule with the shortest flight radius in the world. Dubai International Airport, with 16 daily flights to more than six destinations, provides carriers like Qatar Airways, Emirates, and Etihad Airways with a faster flight turnaround time and a shorter flight path. This means more opportunities for business travel in the UAE, with shorter trips to popular destinations such as Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Taiwan, South Africa, and the US.
Access to Dubai International Airport
With 16 international flights from six different airports, Dubai International Airport provides access to international travel destinations to a much larger global market than Dubai City Airport. Dubai International Airport is an international gateway for flights to over 150 cities across six different continents. It provides direct flights to six international cities in Asia: Beijing, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, Bangkok, and Singapore. It provides direct flights to nine international cities in Europe, including Paris, Rome, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Brussels, Frankfurt, and London. It also provides direct flights to one international city in South America, with flights to Buenos Aires, which has a nine-hour flight distance. Dubai International Airport provides direct flights to nine international cities in the Middle East, with flights to Doha, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Jeddah.
On September 24, 2021, Dubai International Airport was approved to use the newest global air traffic management technology from Lockheed Martin, as it leveraged Dubai Airports’ global airport network. Over the next ten years, the technology will assist in the management of about 3.3 million flights in the UAE.
With access to Dubai’s unique airport system, international travel becomes increasingly seamless and accessible. With new connections and greater frequencies to established destinations, Dubai International Airport provides a seamless connection to over 150 destinations on six continents. This creates a world-class travel experience with convenient and streamlined flight connections, security screening at a minimal wait time, and a unique travel experience that can’t be matched.
Choose Dubai for a convenient international travel experience that includes fewer aircraft transfers, shorter travel time, and a seamless arrival.
Visit Dubai City Airport’s website for information regarding daily flights and upcoming service information for Dubai International Airport.
The entire world has access to Dubai’s incredible experience and facilities through Dubai City Airport. No matter where you are from, Dubai City Airport provides a direct and convenient experience for the entire world.
For more information on Dubai City Airport, visit Dubai City Airport’s website, follow Dubai City Airport on Twitter, or download Dubai City Airport’s Mobile App.