Overview
- The federal government authorized Emirates to operate one daily Berlin–Dubai service, adding Berlin as the carrier’s fifth German destination as part of a broader bilateral package.
- The decision forms part of a cooperation and investment bundle that German and UAE officials have described at about €40 billion, though many project details remain unspecified.
- Lufthansa, the Bundesverband der deutschen Fluggesellschaften and unions condemned the move as shifting jobs and value to the Gulf and increasing competitive pressure on German carriers.
- Berlin politicians and business groups welcomed the link as a way to strengthen BER’s long‑haul connections, and Eurowings and Condor have signalled plans to reintroduce or expand Berlin–Dubai flights.
- Negotiators declined to grant broader fifth‑freedom or transatlantic traffic rights to Emirates, and the government expects further investment announcements at an investor summit in mid‑October.