About Berlin Airport
The security reaction in Berlin is substantial. 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 force alone has a huge set of laws and regulations. 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. Passengers on the new flights to Berlin will be subjected to baggage searches and maybe further security checks once they arrive 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. 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. The first commercial flight from Berlin’s central airbase to Athens took place at the end of September 1963. 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.
Johannesburg Airport
Johannesburg is split into a number of ‘clusters’. For an example of the difficulty of getting information in Johannesburg go here.
In an instance such as this it’s understandable that Johannesburg City Government will be far more likely to respond to a request from an airport than it would a request from the City of Johannesburg itself.
Regional City of Johannesburg
To go to the Johannesburg Regional City of Johannesburg (they must be regional though) you have to go to O. R. Tambo International Airport and go to the tourism counter in Terminal 2. Ask them for details and mention your flight number.
International City of Johannesburg
When you fly to Johannesburg International Airport you go through the City of Joburg’s city border. For international passengers travelling to the International City of Johannesburg (I.C.J.) you can travel to I.C.J via the O. R. Tambo International Airport.
We think that if you’re flying for business, you’ll want to fly into Johannesburg’s International City (I.C.J.) anyway to get to the International Business Centre.
To get to I.C.J., fly into Johannesburg’s O. R. Tambo International Airport and check in for your international flight. Then head to the international arrivals terminal (the one on the right hand side) and ask for information on the International City of Johannesburg.
On the airport map of the International City of Johannesburg, it’s easier to just go to the City Centre Airport in O. R. Tambo Airport. There’s a number for the City Centre Airport and you can get details from there.
City of Joburg’s City Municipality
The City of Joburg’s City Municipality is split into a number of regions and each region has its own local authority.
To get information about the City of Joburg’s City Municipality just contact them. The City of Joburg appears to be the most likely candidate for a local authority.
City Region of Johannesburg
The City of Joburg’s City Region comprises the City of Joburg’s central city, parts of Braamfontein, Mitchells Plain, North West Province, Gauteng Province and parts of Soweto and Tembisa.
City Region of Joburg’s Local Authority
To get information about the City of Joburg’s City Region (City Region’s Local Authority) contact them at City Region’s Local Authority: Johannesburg Region.
We assume that if you are travelling for business you would likely want to fly into the City Region anyway to get to the International Business Centre.
City Region of Johannesburg Local Authority Map
International City of Joburg
To get information about the International City of Joburg’s International City you can contact City Region of Johannesburg Local Authority and ask them. For example, if you have flights in the International City you could contact the International City Local Authority.
This may be a bit easier than trying to get information from City Region’s Local Authority.
International City’s Local Authority Map
City Region of Joburg’s City Municipality
If you are flying into the City Region’s City Municipality you have to travel to the City Municipality’s city border and ask for city information. The City Region’s City Municipality is split up into three regions.
The City Region of Joburg’s City Municipality comprises the City of Johannesburg, City of West Gate, Johannesburg Central, City of Midrand, and Randburg.