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.
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.
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