After a regulatory approval, South African Airways (SAA) has started code-share services with the national airline of the UAE, Etihad Airways. According to the carrier, this facilitates both airlines to deliver code-share and interline flights to key destinations on each others' route networks.
According to the first phase of the code-share agreement, SAA clients can now access its marketed flights on Etihad Airways' scheduled service from Johannesburg to its hub in Abu Dhabi, and onwards thoughout the carrier's worldwide network to Bahrain, Kuwait, Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur. The further destinations now pending local regulatory approval consist of Shanghai, Singapore and Jeddah.
In the same way, travelers on Etihad Airways can now travel on its marketed flights from Johannesburg to Cape Town, Durban, East London and Port Elizabeth on the SAA network. The destinations pending government approval including code-sharing on scheduled services to Livingston, Lusaka, Ndola, Harare, and Victoria Falls.
"We are confident that the new code-share partnership will prove extremely popular with business and leisure travellers who can now take advantage of the greater choice and seamless connectivity across our combined networks and markets," said Manoj Papa, Acting General Manager – Commercial, SAA.
"Increasing our reach into Southern Africa is critical in meeting the demand from growing numbers of leisure and business passengers travelling between Africa and the major emerging markets in the Middle East, Asia, the Indian subcontinent and Australia," said Kevin Knight, Chief Strategy and Planning Officer, Etihad Airways.
According to the first phase of the code-share agreement, SAA clients can now access its marketed flights on Etihad Airways' scheduled service from Johannesburg to its hub in Abu Dhabi, and onwards thoughout the carrier's worldwide network to Bahrain, Kuwait, Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur. The further destinations now pending local regulatory approval consist of Shanghai, Singapore and Jeddah.
In the same way, travelers on Etihad Airways can now travel on its marketed flights from Johannesburg to Cape Town, Durban, East London and Port Elizabeth on the SAA network. The destinations pending government approval including code-sharing on scheduled services to Livingston, Lusaka, Ndola, Harare, and Victoria Falls.
"We are confident that the new code-share partnership will prove extremely popular with business and leisure travellers who can now take advantage of the greater choice and seamless connectivity across our combined networks and markets," said Manoj Papa, Acting General Manager – Commercial, SAA.
"Increasing our reach into Southern Africa is critical in meeting the demand from growing numbers of leisure and business passengers travelling between Africa and the major emerging markets in the Middle East, Asia, the Indian subcontinent and Australia," said Kevin Knight, Chief Strategy and Planning Officer, Etihad Airways.