Overview
- Emirates said Wednesday at the World Routes conference in Frankfurt that it will not, for the moment, begin flights to Berlin while it seeks clarity on the agreement's meaning.
- The German government granted a UAE carrier rights in September to serve a fifth German airport with limits that cap service at seven weekly flights and require the carrier to freeze growth at its four existing German airports.
- The pact reportedly also bars onward 'fifth-freedom' services from the fifth airport, which would prevent hubbing through Germany on the new slot allocation.
- The agreement does not name a carrier or airport, so the unused rights could be taken up by another UAE airline or applied to a different German airport.
- Domestic carriers and unions have warned the deal could divert passengers via the Gulf and threaten jobs, while Berlin officials welcomed new links and Eurowings and Condor have alternative UAE services scheduled or already running.