Berlin Brandenburg Airport is an international aerodrome located in Schönefeld, just south of the German capital city of Berlin, state of Brandenburg. It is named after Willy Brandt, the former mayor of West Berlin and chancellor of West Germany. It is located 18 kilometers southeast of the city center and serves as a base for easyJet, Eurowings and Ryanair. It offers flights mostly to European metropolises and attractions, as well as a number of intercontinental flights. It is one of the most frequently used airports in the region by private jet charter companies for flights to Germany.
The airport was originally scheduled to open in October 2011, five years after construction began in 2006. However, the project was delayed by a series of misadventures due to poor construction planning, execution, management and corruption due to the 2007-2008 global financial crisis. Berlin Brandenburg Airport finally received its operating license in May 2020 and opened to commercial traffic on 31 October 2020, 14 years after construction began and 29 years after official planning began. Schönefeld’s renovated passenger facilities are included as Terminal 5 as of October 25, 2020, and all airlines have completed the transfer from Tegel to Berlin Brandenburg Airport by November 8, 2020.
Berlin private jet charter prices
Although Berlin air charter fees depend on variables such as the number of passengers, departure airport, flight time, aircraft position, flight date, the prices for private jet charter from Istanbul → Berlin are as follows.
| Light Jet | 14.800 EUR |
| Midsize Jet | 18.650 EUR |
| Heavy Jet | 27.400 EUR |
These prices are average amounts and you can contact us on our flight reservation screen or by phone for the most accurate price information.
History of Berlin Airport, which could be established in 29 years
After the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and German reunification in 1990, Berlin once again became the German federal capital. The leaders of the period decided to build a large commercial aerodrome and made plans for it.
On May 2, 1991, Berlin Brandenburg Flughafen Holding GmbH (BBF), owned by the states of Berlin and Brandenburg and the Federal Republic of Germany, was founded. On May 28, 1996, the use Schönefeld as the location of the new airport was approved. For the new airport to be built, it was decided to use the runway and infrastructure at the existing Schönefeld Airport.
The Hochtief consortium won the tender for the new airport made by BBF on September 19, 1998. According to the agreements made, Hochtief obtained the right to operate Berlin Brandenburg Airport for 50 years. On March 31, 1999, BBF, Hochtief and their partners were formally commissioned to build the new airport. The privatization plan was canceled on May 22, 2003, and Hochtief and IVG received compensation of approximately €50 million for the planning work.
After the cancellation of the tender, it was decided to plan and operate the New Berlin Airport by BBF Holding. Shortly after, BBF Holding became Flughafen Berlin Brandenburg GmbH (FBB) and Berlin Brandenburg remained under the ownership of the federal government. On August 13, 2004, the Ministry of Infrastructure and Regional Policy of the State of Brandenburg approved the conversion of Schönefeld Airport into the new Berlin Brandenburg International Airport.
By 2009, the construction cost was budgeted at €2,83 billion. During construction, it became clear that the airport would become significantly more expensive due to underestimation of real costs, construction defects and increased costs for sound insulation of nearby houses. At the end of 2012, spending for Berlin Brandenburg Airport reached 4,3 billion euros, almost double the originally expected figure.
In November 2015, it was understood that the financial concept of the airport was completely wrong. While this crisis was continuing, Deutsche Bahn of German Railways filed a lawsuit in the same year against FBB for unauthorized use of stations located under the Airport. As of 2015, total costs reached 5,4 billion euros.
Due to mistakes made in the positioning of the runway, FBB faced lawsuits for sound insulation. As of January 13, 2018, total costs reached 10,3 billion euros. After spending much above the planned budget, the airport came to the brink of bankruptcy before it was opened. With the FBB in this impasse, on June 30, 2018, the German parliament decided to issue a new loan totaling €132 million.
After difficult periods, the airport started trial operation in January 2020. Between January and October, the terminal buildings of the airport were completed and many infrastructures were arranged. The airport officially opened on October 31, 2020.
Berlin places to visit and nightlife
Berlin, one of the places where world history is written, and which can be called iconic places of the city, Brandenburg Gate, Jewish Monument and Pergamon Museum are among the places where tourists show the greatest interest.
Apart from these iconic places, the Reichstag (Parliament Building), Berliner Dom (Berlin Cathedral), East Side Gallery, Kaiser-Wilhelm Church (Destroyed Church), Neues Museum (New Museum) and Altes Museum (Old Museum) are the most popular places frequently visited by tourists.
Although Berlin is not the first place that comes to mind when it comes to nightlife among European countries, the nightlife of Berlin is quite colorful. Kit Kat Club, Watergate, Golden Gate and Berghain are among the prominent nightclubs of the city.
Transportation to Berlin Brandenburg Airport
Passengers arriving and leaving the airport have numerous bus and train connections available. Airport Express (FEX) and regional trains (RE7, RB14) run several times per hour between Berlin central station and “Flughafen BER – Terminal 1-2” station. S9 and S45 S-Bahn trains depart every 20 minutes and serve the “Terminal 1-2” and “Terminal 5” stations.
The X7 and X71 express buses travel frequently between Rudow underground station (terminal U7) and both terminal locations. In addition, the BER1 (Steglitz Town Hall – BER T1/2) and BER2 (Potsdam Central Station – BER T1/2 & T5) express buses run to Berlin Brandenburg Airport several times a day.
Passengers arriving at Terminals 1 and 2 use the north and south taxi stands in front of T1 at Level E0. Departing passengers get off the taxi at level E1 and can check-in right there. Apart from taxis, there are kiosks in the airport where private cars can be rented.
Passengers who want to travel by their private vehicles can easily reach the airport via the A113 and B96a.
