The airport they couldn't shut down: Berlin Tegel
Photos: Berlin Tegel Airport
Terminal case – Berlin Tegel Airport was scheduled to be decommissioned by 2012. Two years later it's still going strong.
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Photos: Berlin Tegel Airport
Aviation history – Tegel's involvement in aviation began in 1896 when a military barracks was built for an airship battalion. In World War II it became a rocket testing site and then an air force training ground.
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Photos: Berlin Tegel Airport
Berlin Airlift – French forces agreed to build an airport after the Berlin blockade began in 1948. Tegel took shape in just 90 days.
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Photos: Berlin Tegel Airport
Hexagonal hub – Tegel's hexagon-shaped terminal was completed in the 1970s. Its design meant that only one terminal was needed and connections were short.
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Photos: Berlin Tegel Airport
Small and quick – Tegel's relatively small size means that times between check-in and departure can be greatly reduced.
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Photos: Berlin Tegel Airport
Crowd source – It's diminutive proportions also mean it can quickly become overcrowded and overwhelmed during peak travel periods.
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Photos: Berlin Tegel Airport
Runway romance – For all its faults, many Berliners love Tegel because of its proximity to the city center.
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Photos: Berlin Tegel Airport
Growing pains – Tegel-based Air Berlin says delays in opening Tegel's replacement, Berlin Brandenburg Airport, have hobbled its expansion plans.
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Photos: Berlin Tegel Airport
Limited lounge – Some regular Tegel travelers complain the airport lacks the facilities of larger air hubs.
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Photos: Berlin Tegel Airport
Coping skills – Tegel was originally designed to handle 6 million passengers a year. It now copes with more than three times that number.
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