Emirates, the Dubai-based airline of the United Arab Emirates, has announced its intention to offer daily direct flights between its home base in Dubai and two German airports: Berlin Brandenburg (BER) and Stuttgart. The airline confirmed it would commit more than €100 million annually to support the routes, though the expansion remains "subject to approval by the Federal Ministry of Transport."
In its announcement, Emirates described both cities as located in "important economic centres" that remain "chronically underserved by long-haul connections."
Emirates President Tim Clark stated that the airline is eager to work constructively with German regulators to make the expansion a reality. Clark expressed the hope that both metropolitan regions would see tangible benefits from the very start of flight operations. The push for landing rights at Berlin Brandenburg in particular is not new, Emirates has been pursuing access to the German capital's main airport for some time.
The announcement comes against the backdrop of a broader diplomatic and economic push. Following Chancellor Friedrich Merz's visit to the Gulf region earlier this year, the German federal government confirmed it had been in discussions with regional players about expanding flight connections.
"The German government is working intensively to expand the possibilities for international flight connections to and from Germany," a government spokesperson said at the time. Strengthening international air traffic is economically important.
Germany's flagship carrier Lufthansa has made its opposition clear. A Lufthansa spokesperson stated in February that the German government has, for many years, rejected additional landing rights for airlines from the United Arab Emirates for good reasons. The airline argued that granting such rights would undermine climate, consumer, competition, and social standards.
While Lufthansa itself does not operate long-haul routes from Berlin Brandenburg, its leisure subsidiary Eurowings does fly from BER to both Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Emirates countered the competition concerns by pointing out that its primary target markets from Germany, including Australia, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam, are destinations that German carriers do not serve with direct connections. These routes are typically operated via a stopover in Dubai.
The airline argued that expanding its services to Berlin and Stuttgart would not cannibalise existing routes operated by German airlines but would instead close a gap in long-haul connectivity that has persisted for years. According to Emirates, passengers in both regions currently lack adequate access to these key intercontinental destinations.
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