After three decades of failed attempts, Emirates has finally been cleared to fly to Berlin. The approval landed during the state visit of UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to Germany, alongside a headline-grabbing €40 billion UAE investment pledge for the German economy.
A Fifth German Gateway For Emirates
Emirates currently flies to Frankfurt, Munich, Düsseldorf and Hamburg. Berlin now becomes its fifth German point of entry, with the airline cleared to operate up to seven weekly flights, effectively a daily service, between Dubai and Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER). The catch: no fifth-freedom rights, meaning Emirates can only fly between Germany and the UAE on this route, not onward to other countries.
UAE Announces €40B Germany Investment
The deal ends a dispute rooted in a 1994 bilateral agreement that capped UAE carriers at four German destinations. Emirates had long argued Berlin was underserved for long-haul travel, while Lufthansa, backed by the German states of Hesse and Bavaria, pushed back for years, wary of losing connecting traffic through its Frankfurt and Munich hubs.
German Federal Transport Minister Steffen Bilger called it a “forward-looking result,” while Berlin Mayor Kai Wegner welcomed the daily long-haul link as a boost to the capital’s international connectivity. An exact launch date hasn’t been confirmed, though Emirates had previously eyed a December 2026 start using Boeing 777s before delivery delays intervened.
BER already has Dubai connections via Condor from October 25 and Eurowings from November 1, Emirates joins as the first full-service network carrier on the route.
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The €40 Billion Backdrop
The aviation win was announced alongside the UAE’s pledge to invest €40 billion in Germany, spanning industry, AI, digital infrastructure and energy. Of that, €10 billion is earmarked specifically for the state of Bavaria. Officials on both sides frame it as a long-term strategic partnership pairing German industrial and tech expertise with UAE investment capacity, one likely to shape future cooperation well beyond this single flight route.
Cover Image Courtesy: CanvaPro/ frankpeters from Getty Images
FAQs
When will Emirates start flying to Berlin?
No exact launch date has been confirmed yet; earlier plans for a December 2026 start were affected by aircraft delivery delays.
Can Emirates fly beyond Berlin to other countries from this route?
No. The approval excludes fifth-freedom rights, so Emirates can only operate between Germany and the UAE on this route.