Emirates continues lobbying for landing rights in Germany

Emirates, in a letter to the German Transport Ministry and Parliament, claimed Lufthansa made "false and misleading" comments about the carrier's plan to operate from Dubai to Berlin and Stuttgart (Bloomberg, 29-Jun-2010). Emirates reportedly detailed what it says are 19 "errors and distortions", including the nature of its business model, the status of its landing rights in Germany and the frequency of operations to the country. The carrier added that it has a "strong interest" in serving Berlin and Stuttgart and rejected as "unfair" demands from Lufthansa for it to give up two of its four routes to Hamburg, Munich, Frankfurt and Dusseldorf. Lufthansa responded to the claims, stating: "This aggressive lobbying against Lufthansa clearly shows that the business of Emirates Airlines is designed to divert traffic from Germany to Dubai."

Emirates: "Lufthansa believes that aero-political protectionism creates the biggest possible gain for its business interests ... Lufthansa has all along been opposed to our engagement in Germany," " Andrew Parker, Senior VP. Source: Bloomberg, 29-Jun-2010.