Emirates has secured takeoff and landing spots at Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) ahead of a planned December 2026 route launch, despite not yet having German regulatory approval. The move carries some risk if permission is denied, though a precedent exists after Qatar Airways was granted similar approval in 2021.
Emirates wants to start Berlin flights in December 2026
Emirates will launch its long-awaited route to Berlin in December 2026 if all the due permissions by German authorities are granted in time.
According to Bloomberg, Emirates will use Boeing 777 aircraft to begin flights from its hub at the Dubai International Airport (DXB), with Emirates citing “clear demand” for flights between the two airports.
The airline had hoped to begin flights to Berlin in May, but fewer than expected aircraft deliveries stalled the plan for what would be its fifth airport served in Germany, adding to Frankfurt (FRA), Munich (MUC), Düsseldorf (DUS) and Hamburg (HAM).
Emirates flies to Frankfurt three times daily with an Airbus A380 and a Boeing 777-300ER and to Munich two times daily with an Airbus A380. To Düsseldorf, the airline operates flights two times daily with an Airbus A380 and a Boeing 777-300ER, and to Hamburg, two times daily with a Boeing 777-300ER.
Emirates would not be the only airline flying between Berlin and Dubai, as Condor and Eurowings have seasonal flights on this route as well.
According to Emirates, a daily flight to Berlin would create around 500 jobs and attract upwards of 140,000 passengers annually.
In a December newsletter, Emirates said:
“If the federal government is committed to supporting eastern Germany’s economic well-being and recovery, facilitating Emirates’ access to Berlin would be pragmatic step at no cost.”
German regulatory concerns remain
If Emirates wants to realise its ambition of serving Berlin, it must overcome a major regulatory hurdle.
It has an existing bilateral agreement with Germany’s aviation authorities, under which it is only allowed to serve a maximum of four German airports, all of which are currently filled.
The restriction came after lobbying from German carriers, particularly Lufthansa, which has long been concerned about perceived unfair advantages wielded by state-backed Middle Eastern carriers.
The airline launched its first service to Frankfurt in 1987 and has now flown to Germany for almost four decades, while Etihad and Qatar Airways also have a significant presence in the Central European nation.
Qatar Airways has had permission to fly to five German airports since 2021, which is something Emirates is also hoping to achieve.
The airline has also announced a new partnership with Condor, aiming to strengthen its regional position.
A rival to Lufthansa?
The airline launching flights to Berlin would be significantly problematic for Lufthansa, as it has not yet developed a long-haul network out of Berlin Brandenburg, with its main airline fleet only operating feeder flights to Lufthansa’s Munich and Frankfurt hubs.
Emirates claims that its entry into Berlin would not be competition for the German carrier, as the Berlin airport has poor long-haul connectivity. But as Emirates flies to 80 destinations from its hub in Dubai, some of which are also served by Lufthansa from its main hubs, Emirates could still draw customers away from Lufthansa.
Emirates has claimed that out of the 80 destinations it serves, 50 are not served by Lufthansa.
Eurowings, one of Lufthansa’s group airlines, has operated flights on the Berlin-Dubai route since 2023 with its Airbus A320 aircraft.
With Emirates coming in on the route and offering a more high-end on-board experience, especially in the premium department, and with the advantage of a non-stop journey to avoid a transfer in Frankfurt or Munich, it would directly challenge Lufthansa’s dominance on the route.
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