Germany has approved additional traffic rights for a UAE airline to serve a fifth destination in the country, clearing the way for Emirates to launch daily Dubai-Berlin service via Berlin Brandenburg Airport. The move caps the extra flying at seven frequencies a week and bars third-country traffic from the new route.
The decision came during a state visit by the UAE president and follows years of lobbying for access to the Berlin market. Berlin’s Senate later confirmed that the capital would be the fifth German point in Emirates’ network, giving BER its first direct long-haul link to the Middle East. The carrier already serves four German airports, where its frequency remains unchanged under the revised arrangement.
Transport Minister Steffen Bilger framed the measure as a limited expansion of bilateral rights rather than a broader opening of the market. The restriction on fifth-point operations means the new service is intended only for traffic between Germany and the UAE, not onward connections from Berlin to other countries. An exact launch date has not yet been disclosed.