Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) may finally land a true long-haul anchor. On 12 December 2025 Dubai-based Emirates relaunched its decade-long campaign for traffic rights to operate a daily Boeing 777-X flight between Dubai and the German capital. In its latest economic-impact study, the carrier claims the route could generate €130 million in annual economic activity, support 500 local jobs and attract 140,000 additional inbound passengers per year.
Under Germany’s 1994 bilateral air-services agreement with the UAE, Gulf airlines are capped at four German gateways—currently Frankfurt, Munich, Düsseldorf and Hamburg. Opening a fifth would require Berlin to relinquish another city or for the Transport Ministry to renegotiate the treaty. Emirates argues that eastern Germany remains under-served, with fewer than ten intercontinental departures daily compared with roughly 180 from western hubs.
For travel planners assessing the new corridor, seamless visa processing will be just as important as seat capacity. VisaHQ’s online platform (https://www.visahq.com/germany/) simplifies German, UAE and multi-country visa applications, offering real-time guidance, digital document uploads and courier support—tools that can help companies adapt their mobility policies quickly if the Dubai–Berlin service materialises.
![Emirates Renews Bid for Daily Dubai–Berlin Service, Promises 500 Jobs]()
For corporate mobility planners the route would be transformative. Berlin-based start-ups and government bodies often route Asia-Pacific and Africa travel via Frankfurt or Doha, adding hours and complexity. A direct Dubai link would provide one-stop access to 83 onward destinations, including 42 in Asia and 22 in Africa, plus Emirates SkyCargo capacity for high-value exports from Brandenburg’s biotech and clean-tech clusters.
The proposal lands amid intensifying debate over ‘Open Skies’ in Germany. Lufthansa contends that additional Gulf capacity would distort competition, while the Berlin Chamber of Commerce retorts that lack of long-haul options hampers trade-fair growth and inward investment. Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing signalled cautious openness, stating the ministry would “evaluate the route’s regional-development merits against fair-competition standards.”
If approved in 2026, Emirates plans to deploy a 777-X configured with 302 economy, 52 premium-economy and 42 business-class seats plus 10 tonnes of cargo. Mobility teams should monitor bilateral negotiations and anticipate new travel-policy permutations, including potential fare savings versus current FRA/MUC routings.
Under Germany’s 1994 bilateral air-services agreement with the UAE, Gulf airlines are capped at four German gateways—currently Frankfurt, Munich, Düsseldorf and Hamburg. Opening a fifth would require Berlin to relinquish another city or for the Transport Ministry to renegotiate the treaty. Emirates argues that eastern Germany remains under-served, with fewer than ten intercontinental departures daily compared with roughly 180 from western hubs.
For travel planners assessing the new corridor, seamless visa processing will be just as important as seat capacity. VisaHQ’s online platform (https://www.visahq.com/germany/) simplifies German, UAE and multi-country visa applications, offering real-time guidance, digital document uploads and courier support—tools that can help companies adapt their mobility policies quickly if the Dubai–Berlin service materialises.
For corporate mobility planners the route would be transformative. Berlin-based start-ups and government bodies often route Asia-Pacific and Africa travel via Frankfurt or Doha, adding hours and complexity. A direct Dubai link would provide one-stop access to 83 onward destinations, including 42 in Asia and 22 in Africa, plus Emirates SkyCargo capacity for high-value exports from Brandenburg’s biotech and clean-tech clusters.
The proposal lands amid intensifying debate over ‘Open Skies’ in Germany. Lufthansa contends that additional Gulf capacity would distort competition, while the Berlin Chamber of Commerce retorts that lack of long-haul options hampers trade-fair growth and inward investment. Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing signalled cautious openness, stating the ministry would “evaluate the route’s regional-development merits against fair-competition standards.”
If approved in 2026, Emirates plans to deploy a 777-X configured with 302 economy, 52 premium-economy and 42 business-class seats plus 10 tonnes of cargo. Mobility teams should monitor bilateral negotiations and anticipate new travel-policy permutations, including potential fare savings versus current FRA/MUC routings.
