Etihad Airways and American Airlines are hoping
to receive regulatory approval from the US government for a
proposed new codeshare agreement.
The codeshare agreement will further extend the
two airlines’ global networks by providing access between Abu
Dhabi and key cities in the United States including Washington,
Los Angeles, San Francisco and Houston which have previously been
unavailable to Etihad customers.
Etihad Airways
will place its ‘EY’ code on a number of transatlantic services
operated by the US carrier between Europe and the United States,
as well as selected domestic services operated by American
Airlines beyond New York and Chicago.
In turn
American Airlines will place its own ‘AA’ code on services
operated by Etihad Airways between Abu Dhabi and New York (JFK),
Chicago (ORD), Paris (CDG), Dublin, Frankfurt, Manchester and
Milan (MXP).
James Hogan, Etihad Airways’ Chief
Executive, said, “The United States represents a key market for
Etihad and one in which we are keen to grow further, both through
the addition of new routes of our own, such as Chicago, and
through close cooperation with other well-established airlines
such as American Airlines.”
The American Airlines domestic routes within the US
covered by the new codeshare arrangement will initially include
flights between New York (JFK) and Washington, Los Angeles and San
Francisco as well as flights between Chicago and Washington, Los
Angeles, San Francisco and Houston.
The
transatlantic services include American Airlines flights between:
Paris (CDG) and Boston, Chicago, Miami; Dublin and Chicago;
Frankfurt and Dallas/Fort Worth; Manchester and Chicago; and Milan
and New York (JFK).
Subject to gaining US
government regulatory approval, the new codeshare agreement is
expected to come into effect to coincide with the launch by Etihad
of its new service to Chicago at the beginning of September, 2009.
Once the codeshare agreement is in place, customers
transferring between the two carriers will be able to purchase a
single ticket for their journey and enjoy the convenience of being
able to check in their luggage to their ultimate destination.
Etihad Airways currently flies to two destinations in
North America: New York (JFK) and Toronto in Canada. The airline
will begin flights to Chicago from Wednesday 2 September, 2009.
The route will be served initially three times a week and will
increase to daily flights from Thursday 1 October, 2009.
American Airlines currently flies transatlantic services
from New York to Barcelona, Brussels, Milan, London, Paris, Rome
and Zurich; Chicago to Brussels, Dublin, Frankfurt, London,
Manchester, Moscow, New Delhi, Paris and Rome; Miami to London,
Madrid and Paris; Dallas/Fort Worth to London, Madrid, Paris and
Frankfurt; Los Angeles to London; and Raleigh/Durham to London.
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