What was the impact and significance of the berlin blockade and airlift and what went into the event?

In many ways the blockade was a challenge from Stalin to Western Europe and the allied powers of the United States and England and the other Western European governments.  Stalin felt that the Allies would not be interested in spending the enormous amounts of resources necessary to maintain their presence in West Berlin and would simply cede the city over to their control.

Of course the allies felt differently and embarked on an enormous effort to bring everything necessary to Berlin by air, generally loads of up to 1500 tons a day.  This included food, heating fuel or coal, even materials to build a larger runway.  The effort was a great morale booster for the allies and also helped to cement the ties with the new German government by showing that the allies would go to great lengths to maintain the integrity of their new borders and keep them safe from what they saw as the Soviet threat.