Taking airports and aviation away from people: the despicable example of Berlin

We are mourning now as we see Berlin, one of the iconic capitals of Europe, setting the totally wrong example.

BER is at last close to opening, but TXL is in the process of total shutdown over the coming days. This irreversible action would leave Berlin as the main capital in Europe with one single accessible airport.

This has two main impacts:  it makes Berlin inaccessible to general aviation (GA)  in practical terms, taking aviation even further away from the people, but, worse still, it leaves the city without any practical space on which to base any relevant airborne emergency services or disaster-relief.

While proximity is not such a critical aspect for commercial aviation traffic, it is critical from the above points of view.

Of the three Berlin Airports:  THF, TXL, SXF/BER , the former two are closed or closing, leaving only the latter, 30  km away from the city as the only airport serving it. This renders it inadequate both for GA and emergency services not only for the greater distance but mostly because of incompatibility and lack of a back-up. The next closest usable airfields are Schonhagen , 55km or Fehrbellin, 70km away.

TXL should thus remain open for general aviation and emergency services, but not major commercial traffic. This way it would serve to maintain it open as a location close to the city on which to base any future environmentally friendly transportation means as well as making it available for emergency services and disaster relief, while eliminating 99% of its environmental impact. This is compatible with a significant part of the planned development.

The institutions that you represent surely are fostering and implementing policies with a goal to make transport infrastructure useful as a cohesion and service tool and proximate to persons. The EC has brought welcome, if late, policies towards GA with the aim of reversing the negative trend, and the EU parliament already published its recommendations for a sustainable future of GA.  This petition in itself could mean serve to set the right example in line with such goals.

Sadly TXL is not alone in the EU, heralding an increasing trend of making airports and major cities less and less accessible to GA, not only due to existing commercial traffic, which is an unavoidable situation, but also due to unwarranted and disproportionate measures at airports like restrictions, outrageous fees and ridiculous opening times.

Beyond the damage to the EU concept of territorial cohesion afforded by the effective inaccessibility of Berlin to GA, of all cities in the world, Berlin should know, from experience of 72 years ago, how important it can be to have adequate flexible transportation resources close to the people in need at times of need. This should be especially evident in the light of the current pandemic situation.

The matter is important and far-reaching enough not to be left to local decision-makers alone.

We therefore ask you to remind and urge the European governments, and, in particular, that of the Federal  Republic of Germany, to implement urgent measures with the goal of avoiding the irreversible loss of valuable transport infrastructure with the closure of airports in close proximity of cities. This is particularly urgent and trend-setting in the case of TXL: by maintaining a minimum activity with GA and emergency services, the city would have time to design and implement a proper, long-term re-adaptation of the facilities to the new situation: it is essential that some flying activity is continuing to be allowed at TXL.

The people of Berlin and the EU deserve better than short-sighted measures causing irreversible damage to the transport infrastructure of our cities. 

Thank you for your valuable assistance in this important matter