The European Cockpit Association (ECA), representing more than 44,000 pilots across Europe, is urging Germany to withhold additional traffic rights from UAE airlines until fair competition conditions are guaranteed.
The playing field is far from level. Since Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, European airlines can no longer overfly Russian airspace. Emirates continues to do so, giving UAE carriers shorter, cheaper routes to many Asian destinations while European airlines absorb longer flights and higher costs.
UAE airlines have also expanded services to Russia since the war began, supplying Russia with international connectivity. Europe, meanwhile, is fending off Russian military interference at its borders and even within its own territory. The recent Leipzig drone incident is only one example among many.
ECA is equally clear that effective competition within Europe remains essential. A strong European aviation sector must never become a shield that protects the market positions of individual operators. Established European airlines should not exploit a privileged position to ease competitive pressure, especially when doing so lowers quality and service while ticket prices stay high.
For ECA, the debate points to a wider issue in European aviation policy.
"Market liberalisation and connectivity cannot be viewed in isolation," Reuter says. "Political decisions must also account for social standards and European quality jobs, geopolitical realities, climate regulation, and the strategic importance of a strong European aviation sector. The key question is whether Europe can safeguard its own connectivity without becoming dependent on non-European hubs, airlines, and states that pursue their own commercial and political interests—interests that may diverge sharply from Europe's own."
ECA calls on the German Government and European institutions to apply a consistent standard whenever they consider granting additional traffic rights to foreign countries. Every such decision must fully weigh its impact on European jobs, airlines, and hubs, as well as on Europe's strategic autonomy—especially in a time of profound geopolitical uncertainty.