Schengen visas: EU needs to move faster to make it easier for UAE residents
Delays continue to impact UAE travellers plans for Europe ahead of peak holiday season
Dubai: There needs to be a faster resolution to the Schengen visa delays affecting UAE residents that’s according to a top official with a leading German carrier.
“For Dubai, for example, the Schengen visa issues remain a restricting factor,” said Jens Bischof, CEO of Eurowings, the budget carrier owned by Lufthansa Group. “We’d love to see more throughput in visa applications and approvals.”
In the last 2-3 years, UAE residents have made up a sizeable part of visitors to the EU countries, but the processing of visas has been a constant bottleneck. Efforts to better streamline these operations for UAE travelers to the EU and reduce the time taken for visa renewals continue to be made. But the decisive breakthrough is yet to materialize.
Currently, there are no appointments available for Schengen visas for over 2 months, according to local travel industry sources.
On what could be done to resolve these delays, Bischof said, “We’re aware of the restrictions on the governmental side, with budget limitations affecting the region. However, we’re working closely with the region's consulates, ambassadors, and visa departments to increase the throughput.
“It is in our own interest, and we’re committed to making progress.”
Eurowings launched operations out of Dubai World Central (DWC) - also known as Maktoum International Airport - in 2023. The airline has doubled its frequencies from Germany amid growing demand.
Starting from winter of 2024-25, Eurowings will introduce daily flights from Berlin to Dubai and up to four weekly flights from Stuttgart. “Additionally, Cologne-Bonn will be added as a new departure point to Dubai, with three flights per week,” said Bischof.
In 2023, GCC travelers contributed 2.6 billion euros (approximately Dh10 billion) to Germany’s economy, marking a 24% increase over the previous year, according to the German National Tourist Office (GNTO). Bischof said last year, the airline’s load factors were consistently above 90% for the duration Eurowings served the destination.
“We’ve since increased capacity,” he said, signalling growing demand.
Affordable flights to Europe
After Eurowings, other European carriers’ budget subsidiaries, such as KLM’s Transavia, have also made inroads into the UAE and the wider GCC in the year, providing travelers with affordable access to European cities.
For example, Eurowings offers fares from DWC to German cities, including Cologne Bonn Airport, starting at Dh1,258 (for travel between January 22 and 29, 2025). This poses stiff competition to legacy carriers that have long dominated these routes. The Dubai to Berlin flights are at Dh1,296.
In comparison, full-service carriers on the same route are priced between Dh1,900 and Dh3,500.
Asked how Eurowings competes against legacy airlines, Bischof said, “I’m quite confident in our pricing strategy. We offer very attractive prices—starting at 139 euros one way in Economy and 299 euros in Business class.
“Frankly, compared to legacy airlines, these prices are almost unbeatable regardless of the country. Our value proposition as a value airline is our sweet spot. Just look at the development.
“We introduced these services last year and were overwhelmed by the success—so much so that we invited competition on these routes.”
Around 95% of the traffic the airline enjoys are from point-to-point passengers, and it has no intention to compete on the routes dominated by its parent company Lufthansa.
Bischof said: “Despite that, we are confidently doubling our capacity. We’re now flying from Berlin and Stuttgart and have added Cologne to Dubai, which is fantastic. These direct connections offer the fastest way to reach the cities, avoiding transfer flights and other delays.”
Saudi expansion
Eurowings is also broadening its horizon by launching new routes to Jeddah and Cairo. Starting this winter, the airline will operate three weekly flights from Berlin and Cologne-Bonn to Jeddah. This new service is expected to cater to both leisure and religious travelers.
Additionally, the airline has begun servicing Cairo with two weekly flights from Düsseldorf. Bischof said: “These new routes not only cater to the growing demand for travel to these regions but also complement our mission to connect Europe with major cultural and economic centres across the globe.”