Etihad Airways has further reinforced the importance of strategic commercial partnerships for its growth with the striking of a new codeshare with Air France-KLM.
The partnership will create a combined network of 321 destinations with both airline groups expecting to carry a combined total of more than 85 million passengers in 2012.
As part of the agreement, KLM will place its code on Etihad flights between Abu Dhabi and Sydney, Melbourne, Islamabad, Colombo and Lahore.
Etihad president and chief executive James Hogan described the expanded network as “the largest of any Middle East carrier”.
“It reflects the core elements of Etihad Airways’ 10-year master plan, driven by organic network growth, combined with the forging of strategic codeshare partnerships and minority equity investments in other airlines,” he said.
“The linking together of these three components, as we continue to strengthen our bilateral agreements, means all the pieces of our plan are coming together.”
Air France also announced a codeshare with airberlin, in which Etihad holds a 29.21% stake.
Meanwhile, Air France-KLM boss Jean-Cyril Spinetta said the tie-up with Etihad would open up a range of destinations for its customers.
“This new partnership between Air France-KLM and Etihad Airways and airberlin reflects our Group’s strategic positioning to ensure the best possible services between Europe and the rest of the world, by developing our network and airline partnerships,” he said.
The initial phase will see Etihad place its EY code on Air France flights from Paris Charles de Gaulle to Bordeaux, Copenhagen, Madrid, Nice and Toulouse. It will also be placed on KLM flights between Amsterdam and Abu Dhabi, Billund in Denmark, Cardiff, Newcastle, Oslo and Stavanger in Norway
Air France will place its AF code on Etihad flights between Abu Dhabi and the Seychelles, the Maldives, Colombo, Dhaka, Kathmandu and Islamabad.
