Berlin Airlift - Facts & Figures

Normal daily food requirements for Berlin was 2000 tons (2032 tonnes)
Coal represented two -thirds of all tonnage; giving each family 11.3 - 11.6 kg (25-30lb) per month
The airlift required 850,00 multi-layer paper sacks per month
394,509 tons (400,821 tonnes) of foodstuffs, coal and supplies carried by 689 military and civil aircraft - 441 US, 147 RAF and 101 British civil.
The pilots and aircrew also came from Australia, Canada, South Africa and New Zealand
83,405 tons (84373 tonnes) of cargo and 68,000 people were flown OUT of Berlin
39 British, 31 American and 13 German civilians lost their lives in the Berlin Airlift. They are remembered on the Berlin Airlift monument at Tempelhof
200,230,415 km (124,420,813 miles) were flown during the airlift. A total of 277,804 flights
The Russian blockade lasted from 24 June 1948 to 11 May 1949, but the airlift continued for several more months
The airlift cost the United States $350 million; the UK £17 million and Western Germany 150 million Deutschmarks
Berliners received an average of 2,300 calories a day which was higher than the UK food rationing system provided at the time
At the height of the operation, on April 16 1949, an allied aircraft landed in Berlin every minute
The major Berlin airfields involved were Tempelhof in the American sector, Gatow on the Havel river in the British sector and Tegel which was built by army engineers and Berlin volunteers in 49 days inside the French sector
Each aircraft was unloaded by German crews in 20-30 minutes
British aircraft involved included C47 Dakotas and Avro Yorks

prev next

View online collections through Navigator
Read the official RAF Museum Blog.
Explore our Aviation History Timeline
Listen to our podcast series
Visit our Online Exhibitions
Visit the RAF Museum Website
Explore the Casualty Cards of those who served in the RFC and RAF during the First World War.