Emirates has been granted access to a fifth German airport following an agreement between Germany and the UAE, opening the way for a potential daily Berlin-Dubai service.
The airline currently operates from Frankfurt, Munich, Düsseldorf and Hamburg. Under the new agreement, Emirates will be permitted to operate up to seven weekly flights from an additional German airport. Berlin and Stuttgart have both previously been identified as potential destinations, with Berlin considered the preferred option.
However, the additional traffic rights have drawn criticism from Lufthansa and German aviation groups.
Lufthansa warned that an Emirates service from Berlin could draw passengers away from its Frankfurt and Munich hubs, particularly travellers connecting onwards to destinations in Asia via Dubai.
“The difficult situation on domestic routes connecting metropolitan areas with German hubs will be further aggravated by this policy,” Lufthansa said.
The Association of German Airlines (BDF) has also criticised the decision. BDF MD Michael Engel argued that Emirates would primarily connect Berlin with its Dubai hub rather than establish a wider long-haul network from the German capital.
