West Berlin Air Corridor
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The West Berlin Air Corridor consisted of three compulsory routes through regulated airways for civil and military air traffic of the Western Allies between West Berlin and the other Federal German States over controlled airspace of the former German Democratic Republic (Originally the Soviet occupation zone). The airspace contained in these corridors was for the exclusive use of these flights.
[edit] Routes
The air corridors connected the 3 West Berlin Airports:
with airfields in the following directions:
- Northwestern / Hamburg Air Corridor: Hamburg, Bremen, Northern Europe
- Western / Bückeburg Air Corridor: Hanover, Cologne/Bonn, Western Europe
- For economical and technical reasons the central corridor was often favoured for many flights. Hintergrund war die compulsory cruising altitude. With such a low cruising altitude the optimal efficiency cruising speed could not be achieved, which lead to a higher rate of fuel consumption and also to extended flight times. Overall, explicit use of the central air corridor was generally more profitable.
- Southwestern / Frankfurt Air Corridor: Frankfurt (Main), Nürenberg, Stuttgart, Munich, Southern Europe
Usage of the air corridors was reserved for the airlines of the victorious western allied nations. Until the Reunification of Germany in 1990 the traffic between the former West Germany and West Berlin was primarily operated by the airlines Pan American World Airways (USA) and British Airways. Air France already operated a daily flight from Paris via Düsseldorf, serving Tegel, while Pan American World Airways und British Airways served Tempelhof until Tegel was redeveloped.
One exception occurred however, since the Second World War: The Polish airline LOT was permitted to fly through the air corridors. Affiliated wurde dies aus dem Sitz der Polish Government in exile in London during the Second World War and the most direct air connection was via Germany. So in the Cold War there were connections from East Berlin to Brussels and Amsterdam, which operated by LOT through the air corridors.
