Expanding Long-Haul Connections: Berlin Airport Anticipates Exciting Winter Flight Schedule

Airport Berlin to welcome new long-haul destinations in Autumn 2023

Airport Berlin (Flughafen BER) is set to expand its long-haul connections with the addition of a new destination in Autumn 2023. With the inclusion of direct flights to Dubai, the airport will now offer a total of six intercontinental destinations. Eurowings and Condor are the two airlines that will be providing flights to Dubai in the future. However, despite this expansion, there remains a need for more long-haul connections, particularly to Asia.

Giffey Calls for Support for More Long-Haul Flights

Berlin’s Minister for Economic Affairs, Franziska Giffey, continues to advocate for increased long-haul connections at Flughafen BER and is now requesting support from the federal government. Limited long-haul connections could lead to millions in lost revenue for the city of Berlin, as large conferences and events may be moved to other cities due to a lack of available flights. Giffey is urging the federal government to grant more licenses for long-haul flights, especially to and from Asia.

Eastern Germany Lags Behind in Intercontinental Flights

Although Berlin represents an emerging, innovative economic region that attracts major international investments, the number of long-haul departures from Eastern Germany remains low compared to Western Germany. Currently, there are only six airlines at Flughafen BER offering intercontinental flights to five destinations. Airports in Leipzig and Dresden offer no long-haul flights for passengers at all. Giffey views this as an issue affecting Eastern Germany and calls for stronger lobbying efforts for the region.

Flights to Far East and the USA

Long-haul connections to the USA and Asia are already available but in limited numbers. Direct connections to Beijing have been offered for 15 years. Currently, Hainan Airlines operates four weekly flights from Berlin to Beijing. Scoot, a low-cost airline, also offers flights to the Far East with three weekly services to Singapore. Direct flights to the US are available via United Airlines, which operates daily flights to Washington, D.C.

New Connection to the Arab World

With the commencement of the winter flight schedule, an additional connection to the Arab world will be introduced. Eurowings and Condor will begin flights to Dubai. The number of long-haul connections at Flughafen BER will then almost reach the levels seen before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Despite the new connections, long-haul offerings at Flughafen BER remain limited compared to other major European airports. While Frankfurt Airport currently offers approximately 120 intercontinental flights per week, the numbers at BER are considerably smaller.

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