APCOA Launches Services at the New Berlin Brandenburg Airport

APCOA PARKING Deutschland GmbH, Europe’s largest parking lot operator, has celebrated the launch of services at the newly inaugurated Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER).

• Car park with spaces for 17,000 vehicles
• Ticketless drop-off zone with innovative number plate recognition system
• State-of-the-art taxi rank with dedicated taxi driver app
• Management of more than 2,500 luggage trolleys at 113 stations

APCOA PARKING Deutschland GmbH, Europe's largest parking lot operator, has celebrated the launch of services at the newly inaugurated Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER). APCOA's on-site teams are managing the airport's multi-storey car parks, outdoor parking areas and parking control centre. APCOA is also responsible for taxi and baggage trolley management.

The new BER airport has 17,000 car parking spaces for visitors, travellers, airport employees and car-sharing providers at Terminal 1, Terminal 2 and Terminal 5 (formerly Berlin Schönefeld Airport). This is equivalent to 25 football pitches spread over 35 parking levels. From the state-of-the-art parking control centre, APCOA employees are able to monitor all of the airport's parking facilities and pay machines, control well over 100 barriers and oversee all aspects of the car parks' innovative parking technology. They are also available to provide immediate customer service on site.

"The opening of BER airport marks yet another major milestone in our company's fifty-year history. We are delighted to have been appointed to manage parking facilities and provide a wide range of additional services, not only here, but also at more than 60 airports across Europe. We have already established a very close relationship with the airport's operating company, Flughafen Berlin Brandenburg GmbH (FBB), which is certainly important, especially in these particularly challenging times. Now we are expecting the first passengers and for the use of our facilities to accelerate rapidly once the Covid-19 pandemic is back under control", says Philippe Op de Beeck, CEO of APCOA PARKING Group.

10 free minutes for drop-off and pick-up With its automatic number plate recognition system (ANPR), the airport has the most technologically advanced terminal access road in Germany. A particular benefit of ANPR is that it enables ticketless parking in the 650-metre drop-off/pick-up zones. Cameras automatically recognise vehicles' number plates and open the barrier for them. The system gives drivers ten free minutes to drop off passengers. If they choose to stay longer, they can pay quickly and conveniently by entering their number plate at the payment machine.

Alternatively, customers in the P1, P3, P7 and P8 car parks can also use the APCOA FLOW parking app, which enhances the entire parking experience on a number of levels. APCOA FLOW recognises users via their cars' personalised RFID chips and automatically manages the entire parking process. There is no need to take a ticket when entering the parking lot and no need to queue at a ticket machine either; payments are processed via the method specified by the user in the app. APCOA FLOW allows users to enjoy contactless and cashless parking.

"We are convinced that we will overcome the challenges facing the travel and parking industries together. Against this background, we couldn't be more delighted that Berlin Brandenburg Airport has now opened", explains Hansjörg Votteler, Managing Director of APCOA PARKING Germany. "With our comprehensive portfolio of services, APCOA offers everything to make travelling as convenient and easy as possible. This, combined with its employees' extensive airport parking management experience, are what make APCOA such a strong partner for FBB".

Guests who want to park their vehicles in the airport's long-stay car parks can also book their parking spaces in advance online at https://ber.berlin-airport.de/. The online booking service is managed by APCOA and offers favourable conditions and regular discounts. The system also allows drivers to amend their bookings at no extra cost. APCOA offers day parking spaces from as little as EUR 19.00. Holidaymakers can park at BER for as little as EUR 29.00 per week. This offer is valid for bookings made by 30 November 2020 and for parking until the end of March 2021.

Intelligent Taxi Management

APCOA is also responsible for managing taxi traffic at BER Airport so that guests can arrive and depart with the maximum comfort and convenience. BER has taxi ranks at Terminals 1 and 5, which together provide space for 750 taxis and three loading zones. "Over the years, FBB has entrusted APCOA to manage taxi traffic at all Berlin airports. With our fully automated system - in conjunction with the new TMSpro app for taxi drivers - we are now also ensuring the seamless transport of guests at BER", says Votteler.

The system optimises taxi traffic and saves time, creating numerous benefits for both travellers and taxi drivers. Transponders installed in individual taxis guarantee that taxis arrive and leave the taxi ranks as and when they are needed, thereby reducing overall traffic volumes at the airport. Taxi drivers are able to park their cars in waiting zones - the system registers the time of arrival via their transponder and ID number. The taxis are then summoned to the rank when they are required. The system is also set up to efficiently manage special requests, such as for large taxis or taxis with child seats. Via displays in waiting lounges, the TMS website and the new TMSpro app (available for iOS and Android), taxi drivers can keep an eye on all ranks, including details of forecast waiting times.

Baggage Trolley Management Takes the Strain out of Travelling

Managing baggage trolley traffic and ensuring that travellers have the trolleys they need, where they need them depends on having the right infrastructure in place. "For us, baggage trolley management is a flagship service and direct reflection of customer satisfaction and service quality at the airport. Our highly efficient service is based on strategic planning and effective organisation", says Votteler. APCOA employees manage up to 2,600 baggage trolleys at 113 stations, including 3 platforms, depending on flight schedules. The extensive baggage trolley management experience APCOA has amassed at Berlin Schönefeld (SXF) and Berlin Tegel (TXL) airports will allow the company to coordinate the 650 trolleys in the arrival zone alone.

"Our contract at BER gives us another great opportunity to further cement APCOA's status as a leader in serving Europe's major airports. I am extremely proud of my teams and I would like to thank everyone who has been involved in the project for their hard work and enormous commitment over the weeks and months leading up to the airport's official opening", enthuses Hansjörg Votteler, Managing Director of APCOA PARKING Germany, as he reflects on the opening of the new Berlin-Brandenburg Willy Brandt Airport.

About APCOA PARKING Germany 

APCOA PARKING Deutschland GmbH is based at Stuttgart Airport and manages more than 230,000 parking spaces at around 300 sites in more than 80 cities across Germany, including parking spaces in city centres and at airports, trade fairs, hotels and hospitals. In 2019, APCOA was recognised as the fairest company in the parking facility management industry by the leading magazine Focus Money.

APCOA's free parking app, APCOA FLOW, enhances the parking experience for consumers and business customers in over 200 selected car parks. The app's benefits include ticketless access and automatic billing, making queueing at pay machines a thing of the past. The app's users can also specify their preferred payment method and keep track of all of their parking transactions either in the app or via email. No more stretching for a ticket at the barrier, no more looking for change at the payment machine. For all fans of contactless parking, the app is available now in the Apple App Store and Google Play.