On flights to the US east coast, Berliners and Brandenburgers no longer necessarily have to change planes. From Monday, United Airlines will connect Schönefeld directly with New York Airport Newark on a daily basis. It is the first long-distance connection from BER to the USA. The Berlin Governing Mayor Franziska Giffey (SPD) wants to say goodbye to the first flight.
Usually, long-haul passengers from BER have to change trains at hubs such as Frankfurt or Munich. There are direct connections from Schönefeld only to Singapore, Doha and, in winter, to Dubai. From May 27th to the end of October, United will also be flying from BER to Washington.
United Airlines connects New York with Berlin-Schoenefeld
Politics and companies in the region have been calling for more long-haul routes for the new airport for years. They assume that these will stimulate the economy. However, many airlines see better opportunities to fill their intercontinental planes at other locations.
Before the Corona crisis in 2019, there were only six long-haul destinations at what was then Tegel Airport. The hope that there would be more with the opening of BER was initially not fulfilled. The airport went online in 2020 in the middle of the Corona crisis with numerous travel restrictions. United is now returning to Berlin with its New York connection.
