20 years and counting: Emirates reiterates interest in flights to Berlin
December 20, 2025
Emirates has wanted to fly to Berlin since at least 2004. However, it has reached the maximum number of destinations allowed as per the bilateral agreement between the German and United Arab Emirates governments.
Frustrated, the company has called on the German side time and time again to agree to expand the agreement, ultimately allowing Emirates to open new routes – including Berlin.
As the country’s capital city, Berlin would be an important market for Emirates from which it would likely enjoy a healthy mix of leisure and corporate travellers on flights to its Dubai hub. Crucially, though, Berlin would further strengthen its global network, and the connecting options beyond Dubai including to the likes of Australia would serve it well.
Emirates’ appeal to “unlock” Berlin
In its international affairs newsletter this month, Emirates reiterated its plea to “unlock” Berlin. Its competitors, such as Lufthansa, argue that the city is already unlocked. Emirates just has to sacrifice one of its other destinations in Germany.
Indeed, under the bilateral framework, Emirates is allowed to operate flights to four destinations in Germany – a clause that it has already exhausted. The airline flies to Frankfurt, Munich, Dusseldorf and Hamburg.
In its appeal this month, Emirates cited figures from the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) that estimates a daily flight from Dubai would generate 500 jobs, attract 140,000 passengers per year and 55,000 extra overnight stays.
It also noted that the new route has received widespread support from regional stakeholders, including Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) and the city’s Chamber of Commerce. This is unsurprising – any new intercontinental route would be welcome news, Emirates or not.
Previously, Emirates has also called for the ability to fly to Stuttgart as well, which would bring its network in Germany to six destinations in total.
Creating a fair and balanced competitive environment
The primary argument that continues to restrict Emirates’ growth potential is the creation of a fair competitive landscape. Lufthansa, by far Germany’s largest airline, has said that by launching additional points of call in Germany, the company would be exporting German jobs to the UAE – a point Emirates categorically refutes.
Firstly, by operating to its Dubai hub – with global connections to destinations across the Asia-Pacific region – Lufthansa’s one-stop options via Frankfurt and Munich would be impacted.
In other words, a new route to Dubai is not just catering to point-to-point traffic. Instead, a flight to Dubai is a one-stop flight to the Asia-Pacific.
Secondly, given the geography of the United Arab Emirates and the fact that it is much smaller, expanding the agreement to include more cities on either side is not entirely fair.
Lufthansa currently serves Dubai from both Frankfurt and Munich and has not publicly indicated an intention to grow further in the country just yet. Adding more destinations only benefits Emirates for the time being.
Weighing Lufthansa and Emirates
Emirates and Lufthansa remain staunchly convinced in their positions – and rightly so. One of the airlines loses in either scenario, while the other stands to gain.
While Emirates might not presently have access to Berlin, its position in Germany is strong. It flies high-capacity Airbus A380 aircraft to Frankfurt, Munich and Dusseldorf, providing competition against Lufthansa and its Joint Venture partners on services to Asia.
Emirates’ Germany network (December 2025)
| Destination | A380 frequency | B777-300ER frequency |
| Düsseldorf (DUS) | Daily | Daily |
| Frankfurt (FRA) | Daily | Double daily |
| Hamburg (HAM) | — | Double daily |
| Munich (MUC) | Double daily | — |
Source: Cirium
Lufthansa’s CEO Carsten Spohr recently reiterated the company’s plea for a fair and balanced competitive environment in Europe, in a joint interview with Air France-KLM’s CEO Benjamin Smith.
Featured image: Emirates
