What was the Berlin Airlift?

The Berlin Airlift was one of the most ambitious logistics operations in history – the Western Allies’ response to the Soviet Berlin Blockade of 1948–1949, in which they flew all supplies into West Berlin by air for nearly a year.

When the Soviets blocked all road and rail access to West Berlin on 24 June 1948, the two million people living in the Western sectors faced starvation. The Soviets expected the Allies to abandon the city. Instead, the US, Britain, and France launched an airlift to supply West Berlin entirely by plane.

The Allies exploited a loophole: while there had been no formal agreements about road or rail access to West Berlin, three 20-mile-wide air corridors had been formally agreed with the Soviets after the war. Cargo planes were no military threat, so shooting them down would have meant violating a post-war agreement – effectively an act of war.

The operation started shakily, but efficiency improved dramatically under the command of Major General William H. Tunner – nicknamed “Tonnage Tunner” for his relentless focus on throughput. Planes landed at Tempelhof Airport every 90 seconds at the operation’s peak. Between 15 and 16 April 1949, the Airlift delivered a record 12,941 tonnes in 1,383 flights in just 24 hours.

One of the Airlift’s most beloved figures was US pilot Gail Halvorsen, who became known as the “Candy Bomber” (Rosinenbomber) after he began dropping small parachutes of sweets for the children of West Berlin. His gesture became a powerful symbol of hope during the blockade.

The daily supply target was 5,000 tonnes – rising to 6,000 tonnes in winter to account for heating coal. By the spring of 1949, the Airlift was delivering more than the road and rail network had before the blockade.

The Soviets lifted the blockade on 12 May 1949, recognising that their strategy had failed. The Airlift continued until September to build up reserves. In total, over 2.3 million tonnes of supplies were flown in on 278,000 flights.

The Airlift Memorial (Hungerkralle, or “Hunger Claw”) at Tempelhof commemorates the operation and the 78 pilots and ground crew who lost their lives.