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. All airlines are subject to extra checks and security audits by the Federal Police, while all baggage and freight moving to and from Berlin Airport is checked by German officials.
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 be required to maintain their identification cards on them and 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 implemented extreme security measures at its airports, but the heightened security measures implemented by Germany in the past few years also come with an increase in civil 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.
Flights to and from Berlin will remain on a regular schedule, even with the change in security measures, and authorities are confident that the changes will not affect the airport’s operation. On September 4, following the last flights of the day, the airport will be closed so that German authorities can implement 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. The airport began serving commercial flights in 1963, and in its first year of operation, it served around 500,000 people. The construction of Berlin’s airport, which included the construction of Berlin’s twin airports Schönefeld and Stuttgart, cost 623 million Deutsche Marks, making it the most expensive airport construction in history. 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.
The airport has been a key hub for German carriers Lufthansa, Germanwings, and Eurowings since the collapse of the Berlin Wall in 1989. 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.
Edinburgh and Edinburgh Airport
Edinburgh Airport is located in the city’s heart and serves over 43 million people each year. Many visitors, including many visitors from abroad, arrive and depart from this busy airport. It takes only minutes to go from Edinburgh City to Edinburgh Airport, and once there, the helpful employees can direct you to your plane, train, taxi, or hotel. Edinburgh Airport has approximately 300 check-in desks in total, 70 aircraft gates and 4,500 acres of parking space.
Regular flights to and from Edinburgh Airport depart to a large number of cities across Europe, Africa, the United States and Asia. Traveling to Edinburgh will benefit not only you, but also your relatives and friends in the city. Traveling to Edinburgh Airport is ideal for pleasure, business, family vacations, and special occasions, so make your flight as easy and enjoyable as possible.
Flight Tips
There are approximately 20 different flights per day and approximately two flights per hour. If you would like to avoid the chaos at the Edinburgh Airport this season, make sure you arrive a few hours before your flight. Flight schedules are posted online here.
You can either arrive at Edinburgh Airport by taking the train to Edinburgh City Station, then waiting at a stand-alone taxi stand at New Junction Street, or by boarding the City Centre Trolley Bus. If you do choose the taxi, you should call one in the morning before your departure.
Although many travel to Edinburgh by car, there are plenty of hotels near Edinburgh Airport and many trains and buses that connect with Edinburgh City Station. See these links for hotel reviews.
Before your flight, you’ll want to give yourself some time to shop or explore more of Edinburgh while you’re in town. Follow the steps outlined below.
Hotels Near Edinburgh Airport
Edinburgh Airport is directly across the street from Edinburgh City Station. If you take the train to Edinburgh City Station, the baggage drop-off is just across from the rail station. If you take the train to Edinburgh Airport directly, then check-in to the Edinburgh Airport Hotel.
Check-in at the airport hotels takes approximately 15 minutes. You can proceed to your hotel after checking in. The Hilton Edinburgh Airport Hotel has rooms and suites ranging from $195 to $209 per night. The City Centre Holiday Inn Airport has rooms and suites ranging from $195 to $249 per night.
Stay at the Hilton Edinburgh Airport Hotel after checking in at the Airport Hotel. If you are traveling for more than three days, you can also book one of the hotels rooms. The City Centre Holiday Inn Hotel is also able to accommodate flights. You can also stay at this hotel if you have an event at Edinburgh City Hall that you need to get to early in the morning. The Hilton Edinburgh Airport Hotel has 24 rooms. You will find the Holiday Inn Express by the Airport Hotel just across the street. You will also find many restaurants, shops and services just a couple of minutes away, but at Edinburgh City Center. Want to rent a private jet from or to Edinburgh?