3 January 2007
Berlin’s Tempelhof airfield, which had been due to close this year, may get a stay of execution, according to reports.
A German court recommended just before Christmas that the airfield, which had been due to close in autumn 2007, should stay open for at least another year. A final decision is expected within a couple of weeks. However, it could well be that the 31 October 2008 closure date will now be confirmed as the final one in the airport’s history.
Tempelhof has had an important part to play in history, having been at the centre of post-Second World War and Cold War activities in Europe. It was at the centre of the Berlin Airlift, a US military base – and was packed full of aircraft for the 2006 World Cup. It also happens to have some of the world’s best airport architecture.
Tempelhof’s main problem is that its existence weakens the case for Berlin’s new Brandenburg International Airport (being built at Shonefeld); however, Tempelhof has some powerful backers – Estee Lauder’s son Ronald is part of a consortium hoping to turn the old airport into an up-market health clinic – with private jet access. Under these plans, other aircraft would also be able to use the airfield.
However, the local press doesn’t seem to be too hopeful that the airport will survive long enough for those plans to come to fruition.
