Emirates renews push for Berlin flights as Etihad partners with Germany's Condor

Daily Emirates flight could create 500 jobs and attract 140,000 new annual passengers

A Christmas tree shines in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. Germany's capital and eastern federal states remain underserved in terms of flight connectivity. Reuters

Emirates is renewing its decades-long push for flights to Berlin, saying a daily service would benefit the eastern German economy by creating jobs, supporting businesses, boosting overnight stays and increasing options.

The Dubai-based airline lamented being denied traffic rights to the German capital by the Federal Ministry of Transport for more than three decades, despite "clear benefits" for the economy, it said in its December newsletter.

Introducing a daily Emirates flight to Berlin could create an estimated 500 jobs, attract about 140,000 new passengers each year and generate 55,000 extra overnight stays, it said, quoting a study by the German Aerospace Centre. "If the federal government is committed to supporting eastern Germany’s economic well-being and recovery, facilitating Emirates’ access to Berlin would be a pragmatic step at no cost," the airline said.

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The airline is seeking to expand beyond the four German cities of Frankfurt, Munich, Hamburg and Dusseldorf that it currently serves. Under an agreement signed in 1994, adding Berlin would mean dropping operations to one of those destinations.

Emirates has for years publicly expressed interest in adding daily Berlin flights to its network and expanding operations in Europe's biggest economy. Since launching flights to Frankfurt in 1987, the airline has expanded its footprint in Germany in line with passenger demand.

Germany's national carrier Lufthansa claimed previously that the entry of Emirates into Berlin represents an imbalance in the allocation of slots.

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'Limited' long-haul connections

In its latest push for flights into Berlin Brandenburg Airport, Emirates said the long-haul connectivity of the hub is "extremely limited", with only a handful of intercontinental routes currently served. This lack of access restricts eastern Germany's growth, it said.

It also highlighted the broader challenge of "regional equity" within Germany's aviation landscape, where western Germany benefits from about 180 daily long-haul departures, while Berlin and the eastern federal states remain "significantly underserved".

"This imbalance, rooted in historical divisions, persists despite its severe, negative effect on the region’s economic potential," Emirates said.

German airlines such as Eurowings and Condor operate seasonal flights on narrow-body planes from Berlin to Dubai. However, this serves "only a small part" of the demand between the two cities, Emirates said.

"The success of different airlines competing on the Berlin-Dubai route shows that competition does no harm, not even to Lufthansa. But a lack of competition drives up prices," said Peter Gerber, chief executive of Condor.

Emirates offers a premium service on wide-body aircraft and air cargo operations, while its global network provides passengers with access to 83 onward destinations via Dubai with just one stop – 42 in Asia, 22 in Africa, 12 in the Middle East and seven in Australasia. "Notably, 58 of these destinations are not served by Lufthansa from its German hubs Frankfurt and Munich, highlighting the complementary nature of Emirates’ network," the Dubai-based airline said.

Some German government officials have called for better long-haul connections at Berlin airport. "Berlin is a capital city airport with connections on par with a provincial town. That’s a problem for the economy, for trade fairs, business settlements and tourism," Robert Ruckel, vice president of the Berlin Chamber of Commerce and Industry, has said.

"Some airlines want to offer intercontinental flights from Berlin, but are not allowed to because the federal government does not permit it. As an exporting country, Germany needs more Open Skies agreements."

In 2024, 25.47 million passengers travelled via Berlin airport, up 10.4 per cent compared with the previous year. Berlin Brandenburg Airport, which opened in October 2020 after several delays and hurdles, has some direct flights to the Middle East. Qatar Airways, Turkish Airlines, Egypt Air, Royal Jordanian and Saudi Arabia's flynas are among the major regional carriers, the airport's website said.

Etihad Airways and Condor

Etihad Airways and Condor last week announced a strategic partnership that will better connect Abu Dhabi with Berlin. Etihad currently flies to Frankfurt, Munich and Dusseldorf.

Under the partnership, they signed a codeshare agreement and outlined plans for Condor to launch new daily flights connecting Frankfurt and Berlin to Abu Dhabi, starting in the summer of 2026.

From May, Condor will operate daily services between Frankfurt and Abu Dhabi using its Airbus A330 aircraft, followed by the launch of daily Berlin-Abu Dhabi flights from June operated by Airbus A320 aircraft. The new services will "significantly broaden" direct access to Abu Dhabi for German travellers, with onward connections to Etihad's extensive network across the Middle East, Asia, Africa and Australia, the UAE airline said.

"Germany is a vital market for Etihad and adding Berlin alongside new Frankfurt options meets clear passenger demand – including a direct capital-to-capital link that further strengthens UAE-Germany ties," said Arik De, chief revenue and commercial officer of Etihad Airways. "Our customers will benefit from enhanced connectivity to destinations across Germany and beyond."