European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 16, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Once isolated Berlin becoming air Hub companies Rush to fill Market void by Larry Thorson associated press despite a Rocky Start Berlin is Back As a world destination for air travellers. Until airlines changed to a new Winter timetable last sunday rights to Fly the Berlin route had been closely restricted for 45 years to the airlines of the victorious world War ii allies the United states Britain France and the soviet Union a who occupied and retained jurisdiction Over the City. You could Fly to Berlin from London Paris Moscow and a few other european cities outside Germany pan am had four new York flights a week. Otherwise Berlin was an International air traffic dead end though for isolated West Berlin its air routes were a treasured Bridge across communist East Germany. A typical Long haul journey to Berlin would mean changing planes in Frankfurt often to pan am which had the lion s share of Frankfurt Berlin traffic. The German Flag Carrier Lufthansa was founded in Berlin in 1926 but after world War ii could not Fly there. No More. The allies special privileges ended on oct. 3 when the two Germany a United. Lufthansa paid pan am $150 million for its Domestic German operations and on oct. 28 Lufthansa made its first Berlin flight in 45 years. The Cerman airline has plastered the City with ads saying Quot we re Home again Quot and now offers non Stop flights from Berlin to Tokyo Moscow and Newark n.j., which serves new York. Lufthansa sees a great future for Berlin As an air travel Hub and expects it to grow to equal Frankfurt Germany s busiest air Hub spokesman Peter Hoebel said. But some hurdles remain. The City suffers a Lack of capacity even with three airports in operation and there Are Only vague plans to build a new Airport South of the City. Environmental issues Are expected to complicate the Choice of a site. The former Western sector of Berlin has Tegel As the main International flight Center and Tempelhof for Short haul flights. In former East Berlin Schoenefeld Airport is operating for Long haul flights. The soviet airline Aeroflot formerly restricted to Schoenefeld has started daily flights to Moscow from Tegel. Lufthansa has gone the other direction Basing some of its flights at Schoenefeld. Airlines from other countries including Iberia a italia Singapore airlines Swissair and Al Al Are shouldering into the Berlin Market. Lufthansa above Lufthansa began its postwar scheduled flights to Berlin s Tegel Airport on oct. 28. Left Schoenefeld like the City s other two airports has Only a limited capacity to handle expansion. But oct. 28, a Surprise Job action disrupted the gala welcomes Laid on for a raft of new International flights. Thirteen pan am pilots who were supposed to be flying Lufthansa flights called in sick. Hoebel said four flights had to be cancelled and 40 were delayed. Tegel Berlin s main Airport was chaotic. Some passengers waited hours for baggage several flights had to share the same a departure lounge and Access roads were jammed with double parked cars left by people waiting for delayed passengers. A we sent a message to new York asking 24 stripes magazinespa1d and it 0n ?6 problem Quot sad and the next Day the pilots were suddenly Well  Hoebel said the pilots were All americans who have settled in Germany pan Ami absorbed int0 Lufthansa As an am Cabin Crew workers were. But Thev were not part of the takeover Deal and pan am must eventually find other jobs for hem the Lufthansa spokesman said. For in ime75e a amp 6 pilots Are flying old fufrh8 is u pan am colors under Lufthansa flight numbers but Lufthansa plans to Stop using the 72 7s next year car fiend sesame Street shoe Haiti