
Joachim Hunold, Chief Executive Officer of airberlin, together with Prof. Dr. Rainer Schwarz, Chief Executive Officer of Berlin Airports, and Mohammed Ahmed Al Mahmood, United Arab Emirates Ambassador in Berlin, inaugurated the new service between the German capital and the Emirate of Dubai last Wednesday, November 3.
For the 298 passengers on board flight AB7318 and more than 100 invited guests, Tegel airport’s C2 terminal was transformed into a desert landscape with a Mocha ceremony, live Middle Eastern music and belly-dancing.
In his inaugural address, Mr Hunold said “this is the first time that airberlin is operating a year-round, regular non-stop service to the Middle East and it is the only airline to link Berlin and Dubai.
“We have integrated the service to Dubai in our hub structure in Berlin and are consequently able to offer connections to other cities in Germany, Scandinavia, Austria and Switzerland”, he announced, adding that “airberlin is thereby offering an attractive product to business travellers as well as to holidaymakers. At the same time we are strengthening our position in Berlin in the long term.”
Prof. Dr. Rainer Schwarz, Chief Executive Officer of Berlin Airports said in his rearks that: “People from Berlin and Brandenburg have had to wait for a direct service to Dubai for a long time – but that day is finally here. We are now moving another step closer to the people and markets of the world. airberlin’s commitment proves that we are developing our steady growth in traffic volume on fertile soil. With BBI we will also be able to secure an above-average share of this growth in aviation.”

His Excellency, Mr Mohammed Ahmed Al Mahmood, United Arab Emirates Ambassador in Berlin, said in his address at the gathering that “the German capital has become an international centre that draws business people and tourists as well as lovers of art and culture from all over the world on account of its tourist attractions and historical landmarks.”
Ambassador Al Mahmood stressed that “Dubai also enjoys a good international reputation due to its strategic location and as a commercial hub.”
The direct service between these two cities, says the ambassador, “is therefore a splendid achievement for both.”
Mr Al Mahmood observed that “in recent years Germany and the United Arab Emirates have taken concerted and carefully considered steps to develop a strategic partnership on the basis of constructive cooperation, mutual interests and prosperity. That will certainly build further bridges between the two countries.”
airberlin operates three non-stop flights a week (from 199 euros one way, including taxes, charges and topbonus miles, but excluding aviation tax) from Berlin to Dubai.

There are connecting flights to further destinations in Germany, including Düsseldorf, Frankfurt and Munich, as well as to Gothenburg, Graz, Helsinki, Palma de Mallorca, Salzburg, Stockholm, Oslo, Vienna and Zurich.
Some Cultural attractions in Dubai:
The Jumeirah Mosque is a dominant landmark of Dubai city. Built in the medieval Fatimid tradition, this stone structure is a tribute to modern Islamic architecture. Visitors strolling through the Mosque at sunset, will be washed in shadows by this elegant formation.
The Jumeirah Mosque is built in the medieval Fatimid tradition combined with modern building materials. Considered to be one of the most attractive mosques in Dubai, the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding organizes visits to the Jumeirah Mosque for non-Muslims, aimed at promoting cultural understanding and first-hand experience as an insight to the Islamic religion.
Dubai’s Dragon Mart, the largest trading hub for products from China outside the Chinese main land has already attracted huge numbers of visitors since opening its doors on December 7th 2004.
Developed by Nakheel at its International City in the Al Warsan area of Dubai, the 1.2 km long Dragon-shaped structure has attracted residents from Dubai and neighbouring Emirates who come to enjoy a unique shopping experience while browsing a vast and varied selection of Chinese products.
ANA Aviation Correspondent, Berlin