Germany and UAE revise air treaty to allow fifth destination

In September 2026, Germany and the United Arab Emirates agreed on an updated bilateral air services agreement granting UAE carriers a fifth destination in Germany, enabling a potential route to Berlin Brandenburg with seven weekly frequencies. Currently, UAE operators are limited to Frankfurt, Munich, Düsseldorf, and Hamburg.

Exercising this new access comes with stringent operational trade-offs. Using the Berlin option triggers a freeze on growth at the four existing German hubs, ruling out extra daily frequencies such as third services to Munich or fourth to Frankfurt. Furthermore, Fifth Freedom traffic rights, previously operated on routes like Hamburg to New York, would be eliminated from German territory. The treaty also mandates the disclosure of detailed operational and financial data to German regulators.

While Emirates previously requested airport slots for autumn 2026, the carrier stated it is still assessing the terms, making any operational launch before the summer 2027 schedule unlikely. The treaty applies to all UAE carriers, including Etihad Airways, Air Arabia, and Flydubai, amid competition concerns raised by Lufthansa and the Verdi union.