Germany and the United Arab Emirates have just revealed plans to expand their air transport agreement, and with this, Emirates can finally fly to Berlin, something it has been wanting to do for over two decades. As you’d expect, Lufthansa isn’t at all happy about this, and is accusing the German government of all kinds of stuff…
In this post:
Emirates will finally fly between Dubai and Berlin
On Thursday, September 10, 2026, UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan had a state visit to Germany, where he met with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. With this, the UAE pledged to invest €40 billion in Germany, to strengthen ties between the two countries.
There was also an aviation angle to this — as part of this investment, it was announced that airlines from the UAE would be allowed to serve a fifth German city.
You see, air service between Germany and the UAE is restricted based on a bilateral agreement, and up until now, airlines from the UAE have only been allowed to serve four German airports. The UAE has of course wanted to expand this agreement, while Germany hasn’t been willing to do so, at least up until now.
For a long time, Emirates has opted to fly to Dusseldorf (DUS), Frankfurt (FRA), Hamburg (HAM), and Munich (MUC). However, going back to at least 2004, Emirates has been wanting to add flights to Berlin (BER) as well. For a long time, Lufthansa has successfully lobbied for this service to be blocked, but that’s no longer the case.
While it wasn’t explicitly stated in the agreement, the idea is that an airline from the UAE can launch service to a fifth city in Germany as long as current air service to other airports doesn’t expand, and as long as the airline doesn’t plan to launch fifth freedom service from there.
It’s pretty clear what route that is referring to, with Berlin Mayor Kai Wegner already welcoming Emirates to Berlin. While not necessarily the highest yielding, Berlin is by far Germany’s largest city, so this will be fantastic for competition.
The inconsistency in bilateral agreements for Germany has made little sense. For example, Qatar Airways has been allowed to serve five German cities (it already flies to Berlin), while Emirates has been able to serve four German cities. How exactly do you justify that, from a competitive standpoint?
Lufthansa slams German government for allowing this
Lufthansa has of course for a long time been lobbying to prevent Gulf carriers from expanding in Germany, with the usual, predictable arguments (“they’re stealing our jobs!”). For years, Lufthansa’s campaigning has largely centered specifically around Emirates being able to expand to Berlin.
The irony is that Lufthansa doesn’t actually treat Berlin as an important market — instead, it just treats Germany’s largest city as a feeder airport for its two main hubs, though Lufthansa Group does offer Dubai service via its Eurowings low cost carrier subsidiary.
In response to this news, a Lufthansa Group spokesperson released the following statement:
“The expansion of traffic rights agreed today in favor of the United Arab Emirates shifts added value and jobs to the Gulf and further exacerbates the distortion of competition. The already strained situation on domestic routes connecting metropolitan areas to domestic hubs will be further exacerbated by this policy. This federal government is scoring too many own goals.”
Funny enough, I think Lufthansa’s defense here is exactly why Emirates should be granted this permission. Lufthansa’s argument is that domestic feeder flights are at risk because Emirates is expanding to Berlin. It essentially boils down to “how will we be able to fill our domestic feeder flights and get people to overpay for double connections, when Emirates offers a better product, price, and more direct routing?”
Germans absolutely love the sun, and in winter like to travel to places like Bali (DPS), Phuket (HKT), etc. Lufthansa wants to sell those passengers a double connection with high fares, while the Gulf carriers can get people there in one stop.
I’d consider this to be a big win for consumers, as Lufthansa wants to have its cake and eat it too — it wants to control Berlin without actually investing in the market.
Bottom line
Emirates has finally gained the rights to fly to Berlin, something it has wanted to do for over 20 years. However, the bilateral agreement between the two countries capped air service at four destinations. Thanks to expanded cooperation between the two countries, airlines from the UAE will now be allowed to serve five destinations in Germany.
While exact details about Emirates’ new Berlin service remain to be seen, this is some much needed competition for Germany’s largest city.
What do you make of Emirates finally getting permission to fly to Berlin?
Wish there was more competition, but at the same time seeing capacity dumping is not fun. It kills the very thing it pretends to do, kill competition.
I am in the school of don't limit destinations, but do limit the capacity per day.
"For example, Qatar Airways has been allowed to serve five German cities (it already flies to Berlin), while Emirates has been able to serve four German cities. How exactly do you justify that, from a competitive standpoint?"
Well it's not Germany's role to make competitor fair across Gulf carriers. These agreements are country-to-country agreement and are (hopefully) justified by other, non-aviation stuff being granted to Germany.
Lol, can't wait for EK to eat FOX for dinner.
Sorry Ben,
As someone who has worked in aviation at both TXL and then BER airports directly by several European airlines (not LH). I also do not agree with this decision.
In Germany we have good paying jobs, a functioning social system and various other benefits/protections not offered by the Gulf States airlines.
I’m not saying these airlines shouldn’t be allowed to fly to Germany. It must however be measured. I appreciate...
Sorry Ben,
As someone who has worked in aviation at both TXL and then BER airports directly by several European airlines (not LH). I also do not agree with this decision.
In Germany we have good paying jobs, a functioning social system and various other benefits/protections not offered by the Gulf States airlines.
I’m not saying these airlines shouldn’t be allowed to fly to Germany. It must however be measured. I appreciate competition to improve services and keep prices in check.
Agee on a limited number of services a week for each carrier, but not the open skies with QR and blanketing of Germany with EK and a lesser extent EY. No one is really flying to DOH or AUH. DXB is another story.
What these airlines are doing, they are absorbing the German market flying eastward.
They have no (or little) local traffic, yet can bypass the rights and protections we have fought so hard for here. Of course LH and DE, as well as other European carriers, are at a structural disadvantage and lose the local originating traffic to carriers that have little regard for their worker’s basic rights. This for a majority of passengers that are in transit.
Allow them access. Of course. Allow them to dump capacity without a local market (not so much EK). No thank you. It makes no sense. Of course I can’t compete with a worker earning less than me with no rights or protections.
Sorry, but limits need to be set to ensure a fair and functioning aviation market in our own country.
It's important to mention that the agreement mentions that if a carrier (read EK) starts flying to a 5th destination (BER), it will be capped on frequencies to the other 4 destinations from that point on. So probably EK won't rush into BER as originally anticipated.
Presently EASA prohibits European carriers operating via the Gulf, because of the kakistocracy in the USA led by the demented megalomaniac and Israel. Therefore LH cannot even operate if they wanted to.
What?
Bavaria and Hesse are also not amused as they own MUC and FRA
Does BER have Code F gates? While I welcome the competition, I can't describe myself as jazzed about the 2-3-2 EK 77W J if that's what they'll be offering lol. Much rather stick w the QR super diamond seats
Yes LH's approach to Berlin is exactly why competition is valuable. Berlin is Germany's largest city and yet the German flag carrier flies to the same number of destinations from Berlin as they do from Naples.
LH doesn't even fly BER-LHR and yet the German government's supposed to prevent Emirates from flying to Dubai? Please
they do, it's just called Eurowings - no need to be this blind...
Eurowings only started flying to LHR from Berlin this summer. The LH group till then didn't have a direct connection to London.
Who care if they are furious. Lufthansa has neglected Berlin for a long time, which not only affected residents of Berlin, but also the numerous visitors. Unlike Frankfurt, Berlin is a tourist destination.
Hard to blame them for being furious, major inconvenience, couple more things like that and they may have to get up and remember the meaning of the word "compete."