Etihad Airways commence code-share services with South African Airways

Abu Dhabi, July 10, 2013 (WAM) - Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, has commenced code-share services with South African Airways (SAA) following regulatory approval, which enables both carriers to offer code-share and interline services to key destinations on each others' route networks. Effective immediately, and under the first phase of the codeshare agreement, Etihad passengers can now travel on Etihad Airways' marketed flights from Johannesburg to four major destinations on the SAA network including: Cape Town, Durban, East London and Port Elizabeth. Code-sharing on scheduled services to other key destinations, including Livingston, Lusaka, Ndola, Harare, and Victoria Falls is currently pending subject to local government approval. In return, passengers travelling from Africa can now access SAA marketed flights on Etihad Airways' scheduled service from Johannesburg to its hub in Abu Dhabi, and onwards across the airline's fast growing global network to Bahrain, Kuwait, Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur. Other major destinations currently pending regulatory approval include Shanghai, Singapore and Jeddah. Etihad Airways launched its service between the UAE and South Africa in 2005, and currently operates scheduled services to eight destinations in Africa and the Indian Ocean, including: Johannesburg, Khartoum, Casablanca, Cairo, Nairobi, Lagos, Tripoli and Mahe in the Seychelles.