If all international airports were as convenient for the city there would be more grateful travelers. A fifteen-minute taxi ride is all it takes and with rapid check-in Tegel has much to commend it. The airport's hexagonal terminal complex makes the transition from roadside to airside quick and convenient.
Tegel is Berlin's main gateway handlng international, domestic and charter traffic with the German airline Lufthansa the principal carrier. It is one of three airports serving the city - the others are Schönefeld and Tempelhof - and its popularity is reflected in its booming traffic figures.
With most services concentrated in the Main Hall of the terminal complex it is passenger friendly and if you tire of shopping, eating or taking that pre-flight glass of fizz in the Champagne Bar you can always wander up to the art and exhibition area to see what is on offer.
The Conference Center is widely used by the business community and the Take Off restaurant nearby provides food a cut above the bland offerings that still afflict so many airports.
With Berlin resuming its status as capital of Germany the pressures on Tegel will increase. Lack of space means it is facing extinction by 2010 with a brand new international showpiece at Schönefeld in the planning stages. Convenience, alas, will not be enough to save it.
