The interior of Berlin Tempelhof Airport  Photo courtesy of Berlin Airports

One of my industry friends was kind enough to pass along a New York Times article (free, but registration required) and slide show on Berlin's iconic Tempelhof Airport, which is scheduled to close in October.

Back in 2003, when I was working for Rolls-Royce, I had the chance to visit Tempelhof as part of a visit to our manufacturing plant just outside Berlin.  We had a client doing a journalist tour that was landing at Tempelhof, so we were there to meet the plane and got there early.

So there was plenty of time to look around and take photos.  It was pretty empty, as at the time, only low-cost carriers were operating out of the facility.  You don't realize the size and scale of the building until you're in it.

I met a gentleman who had worked at the airport since the early 60s, and his father had been around when it was built.  We got a great tour and chat about the history of the airport, and he showed us some of the old photos, including some great ones of the Pan Am operation.  I’m really sad to see it go, but I understand why it has to be closed.