Berlin Brandenburg Airport "Willy Brandt," or BER for short, has been under construction since September 5, 2006, on the southern outskirts of Berlin in Schönefeld, Brandenburg. Whether and when it will ever open is still uncertain at this point. We're taking the opportunity for a unique tour of the airport grounds.
At relatively short notice, we were invited to spend a weekend with friends in Berlin. Thanks to Groupon, we quickly found a highlight for the visit: "Erlebnis BER – Die Tour." The approximately two-hour bus tour normally costs 10 euros per person. With the Groupon voucher (via qipu.de (There's currently another 91% cashback) we received a 50% discount. The meeting point was at 12:00 PM at Terminal C of Berlin-Schönefeld Airport. Since we arrived a bit early, we used the remaining time to get a few planes in front of our lens.
Experience BER – Observation Tower
Our bus was waiting right in front of Terminal C, and after a few minutes waiting for latecomers, we set off with 37 passengers toward BER. We drove a short distance along the Autobahn 113, which was built specifically for the new airport connection. Our first stop was the Info Tower. In the adjacent pavilion, we had to pay and hand over our Groupon voucher. Then we were given a brief map explaining where we were, what had already been built, what was still being built, and where we were going today. Afterwards, we climbed the 32-meter-high tower and had a good overview of BER and Berlin Schönefeld Airport. Unfortunately, there were no planes approaching.
Our tour guide explained all the surrounding buildings to us. Just before we went back down, I asked if it was even possible to go into the airport building? To our surprise, she said, "Yes, of course we're going to the main check-in hall today!" We were stunned; we hadn't expected that.
Experience BER – Main Terminal
Once everyone was back on the bus, we drove through a security gate and stopped right in front of the main terminal. We entered one side, walked right through, and exited the other. At the entrance, two security guards and four construction workers sat at a folding table, checking the guests. It's no wonder things aren't moving forward here and everything is getting more and more expensive when you have the money to send six people to an empty airport on a Saturday. But hey, we're not going to complain when we have an opportunity like this!
We were truly impressed by the check-in hall. It's clearly still a construction site, but you can tell that everything has already been prepared for the opening. The PCs and office chairs are already at the check-in counters, the luggage carts are working, and there's power everywhere! Everything looks kind of finished, but kind of not.
The materials used are truly beautiful: warm wood tones for the check-in counters contrast with the steel and glass façade that dominates the 32-meter-high hall. Perfectly coordinated! The columns elegantly connect with the ceiling structure and form the intersection points of the light strips. The dissolution of the capital into a light-filled structure brings the necessary lightness to the rather high and heavy roof.
The entrances to the underground station are spacious and arranged in terraces, allowing views of the lower levels from the entrance hall.
The security checkpoints are located at the rear of the hall, but nothing further had been completed there yet. Everything was cordoned off with construction fencing. Above the security checkpoint, at the rear, the upper floors were designed to be relatively open to the check-in area.
During our tour we also rummaged around in corners where we definitely shouldn't have been, but if no one noticed, no one cared.
Experience BER – Runway South
At the exit, what a surprise! We again encountered a table with three construction workers. But as I said, we're not complaining. We passed through the security gate, past the customs and fire department buildings of Service Area South, and turned onto the 4-kilometer-long South Runway (07R/25L). Here, the bus driver finally got to put his foot on the gas again and show off what his bus could do. Fortunately, he initiated a braking maneuver just before the PNR (point of no return), and we were able to safely exit Runway 25L at the last taxiway.
At the request of some fellow passengers, we made a quick photo stop on the runway. We stopped near a large white cross made of foil, which, when viewed from the air, is supposed to signal that the runway is closed. From here, we had a great view of the DFS Tower, the main terminal including the south pier (Air Berlin), and the old Schönefeld Airport in the distance. This view may be obscured at some point when the two planned satellite terminals are built around the tower. Incidentally, these runway tours will not be offered for much longer. The runway will soon be provisionally "opened" while the north runway is restored. For this reason, additional fences had already been put up everywhere, separating the construction site from the apron and the runway.
At our last stop, we stopped very close to the control tower and had a wonderful view of the main terminal with its 16 gangways. Unfortunately, we couldn't see or even guess at a lounge behind the glass facade. It looked as if there were only the regular gates and no lounge with a view of the apron. What a shame!
We then drove very close to the terminal again and then headed back. Unfortunately, the almost two hours were already up. Time flew by, which you can't start from here. ;)
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