Emirates will not launch scheduled flights between Dubai and Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) for the time being, delaying a long-discussed connection to the German capital. The airline had been expected to use newly granted traffic rights for up to seven weekly flights from its Dubai hub to BER, but no start date has been set while Germany and the UAE clarify the agreement governing the service.
Emirates President and CEO Tim Clark disclosed the decision at the World Routes 2026 conference in Frankfurt. He indicated that the two sides interpret parts of the September air-services agreement differently, including wording and translation. Berlin will be added to the network only after the issue is resolved.
The amendment allows a UAE airline to serve a fifth German airport with up to seven flights per week. Emirates currently operates from Frankfurt, Munich, Düsseldorf and Hamburg. Activating Berlin would reportedly freeze frequency increases at those four airports, limiting the airline’s ability to expand its established German services. The arrangement also excludes onward fifth-freedom operations from the additional airport.
The newly available BER option therefore remains unused, leaving the airport without the planned Emirates service and preserving uncertainty over the carrier’s future growth in Germany. Possible interest in Stuttgart has also been reported, but the confirmed decision concerns Berlin.