CLOSED Berlin Tegel
Operated By: |
 Berlin International Airports |
Website: |
www.berlin-airport.de |
Terminals: |
1 |
This Review: |
Only Terminal |
Rating: |
 |
| TXL BERLIN TT0107 /221750 |
Last updated 24/02/2022
General: |
Berlin's main international airport, originally due to close before my final visit in July 2012, but due to delays with the new Berlin Brandenburg airport Tegel was still operating. However, the fact that it was open past the time it should have been closed down was obvious with lots of things patched together and clearly only running repairs being done as it is due to close within the year. In the end TXL continued to operate until October 2020. |
Appearance: |
Bizarre airport. The building in built as an Octagon with the centre being a drop off/pick up point for cars. Where the front of the Octagon touches onto the access road there are Taxi ranks and bus stops. The inside side of the Octagon (the area facing onto the drop off/pick up points) houses all the land-side parts of the airport. You then walk through behind the check-in desks to reach the outside of the building and the air-side parts of the airport. Each gate has its own security, passport control and shop on Departures and its own Immigration on arrivals and then shares baggage and customs with one other gate. The building itself looks a little run down and quite 1960's. |
Inbound
Domestic
Domestic flights are treated the same as international
International
When you walk up the airbridge you are instantly confronted by passport control, each gate has its own booths. Once through there you are in a holding area for your gate and one other where the baggage reclaim is. This then leads straight into the customs hall and out into the main terminal building. The total walk from your seat on the plane to the arrivals hall is approximately 20 yards!
Tegel has the bizarre situation where each gate has its own passport control area, and then shares baggage and customs with the next door gate. As the flight was so empty I was through in a couple of seconds flat.
The baggage carousel is just for the two gates so the whole area is very small and cramped. As it is literally 20 yards from the plane the baggage only takes a couple of minutes to come up after landing.
Very very small customs area, which only dealt with the two gates. All passengers had to go through Green or Red, no space to put a Blue channel!
Regular buses link to the centre of the city. There are direct, though expensive, airport buses or you can catch the regular local buses. The local buses also serve some of the local U-Bahn and S-Bahn stations.
Outbound
Domestic
Domestic flights are treated the same as international
International
Tegel is a bizarre airport. Check-in is all the way round the inside of the building and then you walk through to the area behind the check-in desks to get to the gate so your check-in desk and gate are the same. Separate passport and security for each gate and an individual shop for each gate once you get into the waiting area. Very small waiting area with nothing else in it!
None, though all of the Cafe's/Restaurants on the land-side also sell alcohol.
Couple of small cafe/restaurants on the land-side. Nothing on the air-side
Couple of small cafe/restaurants on the land-side. Nothing on the air-side
A couple of small shops on the land-side and one tax free shop selling alcohol, sweets perfumes and cigarettes once you are in the departures lounge.
The toilets are clean but showing their age and would be in need of a refurbishment if the airport wasn't closing in 2013