Overview
- Reports from Bild and B.Z., cited by other outlets, say Emirates is seeking landing rights at Berlin Brandenburg, with no federal decision announced.
- Governors from Berlin and other eastern states urged Chancellor Friedrich Merz to approve access, noting only five daily long‑haul flights in the east versus over 170 in the west.
- Bavaria’s Markus Söder and Hesse’s Boris Rhein oppose new Gulf access, and Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr insists Berlin service should require giving up one of Emirates’ four current German destinations.
- Bild reports the federal government has privately assured Lufthansa it will not grant additional slots to Gulf carriers, a claim that has not been confirmed publicly.
- Lufthansa Group’s Eurowings plans a major BER expansion to Abu Dhabi and Dubai for winter 2025/26, and documents reported by Bild and B.Z. suggest Stuttgart could forfeit previously signaled priority.