Departure
97%
vs 95% ▲ 2
MY FS FLIGHTS
MY FS FLIGHTS
Berlin Brandenburg Airport (EDDB), named Willy Brandt after the former Chancellor, is the principal international gateway serving the German capital, lying south-east of Berlin in Schönefeld, Brandenburg. Opened in October 2020 after a notoriously protracted construction period, it replaced the city's former airports at Tegel, Tempelhof and the old Schönefeld, and now offers a simulator pilot two long, ILS-equipped parallel runways typical of a major European hub.
Berlin Brandenburg Airport, officially Flughafen Berlin Brandenburg "Willy Brandt", is the sole commercial airport now serving Berlin and the surrounding Brandenburg region. It stands on the site of the former Schönefeld Airport, south-east of the city centre, and opened for traffic on 31 October 2020 after replacing Tegel, Tempelhof and old Schönefeld. For a sim pilot it offers a large, modern hub environment with two long parallel hard-surface runways, full ILS coverage and a divided tower service, making it a good subject for airliner and general big-airport operations.
The airport lies in Schönefeld, in the state of Brandenburg, on the southern edge of the Berlin metropolitan area, roughly 18 kilometres south-east of the Berlin city centre. It occupies land that incorporates much of the former Schönefeld Airport's infrastructure, including one of its runways, and is now the only commercial aerodrome serving both Berlin and Brandenburg.
The airport has two parallel physical runways. The longer pair, 06R/24L, measures approximately 13,089 ft (06R) and 13,088 ft (24L); the shorter pair, 06L/24R, measures approximately 10,804 ft (06L) and 10,805 ft (24R). Both runways have a hard surface, are lit, and are equipped with ILS on all four runway directions. Field elevation is 148 ft.
Radio services include Berlin ATIS on 123.78 MHz and a separate Berlin VFR ATIS on 133.63 MHz. Berlin Ground operates on 129.505 MHz. Tower control is split between two sectors: Berlin Tower (Süd) on 118.805 MHz and Berlin Tower (Nord) on 120.03 MHz. A Berlin Volmet broadcast is available on 128.405 MHz, and Langen Information provides an AFIS-type service on 132.65 MHz.
Plans for a large new Berlin airport followed German reunification in 1990, when the city's existing airports at Tegel, Schönefeld and Tempelhof were seen as ageing and increasingly congested. The Berlin Brandenburg Flughafen Holding GmbH was founded in May 1991, jointly owned by the states of Berlin and Brandenburg and the Federal Republic. After evaluating several potential sites, including Sperenberg and Jüterbog, the decision was taken in May 1996 to build the new airport at Schönefeld, reusing some of its existing infrastructure, including a runway. Construction began in 2006 with an intended opening in October 2011, but the project suffered years of delay caused by poor planning, construction failures and management problems. Tempelhof Airport closed in 2008. The new airport finally received its operating licence in May 2020 and opened for commercial traffic on 31 October 2020, with Schönefeld's former terminal incorporated as Terminal 5 and Tegel's operations transferred by 8 November 2020. The airport was named Willy Brandt after the former Mayor of Berlin and West German Chancellor and Nobel Peace Prize laureate.
Berlin Brandenburg Airport now serves as the operating base for Condor, easyJet, Eurowings, Ryanair and Sundair, and has become the third busiest airport in Germany. Terminal 1 opened with the airport in 2020, and Terminal 2 followed on 24 March 2022; the former Schönefeld terminal buildings were absorbed as Terminal 5, though Schönefeld itself has since closed permanently. Further expansion, including additional terminal capacity, is planned. The airport is operated by Flughafen Berlin Brandenburg GmbH.
