Etihad extends codeshare with Brussels Airlines

Under the deal, which comes into effect on March 29, the Abu Dhabi-based airline will place its two-letter 'EY' code on Brussels Airlines' flights from the Belgian capital to the Spanish capital city of Madrid as well as the Catalan city of Barcelona. The agreement also includes the city of Birmingham in the United Kingdom.

In turn, the extended codeshare agreement will give air travellers from the three European cities access, via Brussels, to Etihad's home base of Abu Dhabi and beyond it to many international destinations on the airline's global network in the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Australia.

James Hogan, Etihad Airways' chief executive, said: "Brussels Airlines represents one of our most established and successful codeshare agreements. Over time, the agreement has evolved in line with our own ambitious expansion plans, opening up markets to which our airline has previously not had access.

"This latest arrangement is a huge boost to our global network and gives us entry into the Spanish market for the first time, as well as one of the UK's most important commercial cities."

Etihad's codeshare agreement with Brussels Airlines is one of the airline's longest established and has evolved significantly since the original deal was signed in October 2005.

In October 2008, the agreement was expanded to provide customers with access for the first time to the Scandinavian destinations of Oslo (Norway), Stockholm and Gothenburg (both Sweden), Helsinki (Finland) and Copenhagen (Denmark).

The start of the extended codeshare deal coincides with the start of Etihad's new summer schedule, which will see an increase in the number of flights between Abu Dhabi and the Belgian capital. Flights to Brussels will increase from four to six flights a week from 29 March.

The original code-share deal between Etihad and Brussels Airlines (formerly SN Brussels) came into force in October 2005. Under this agreement, Brussels Airlines places its code on all Etihad flights between Brussels and Abu Dhabi.

Etihad currently has 14 other codeshare agreements with Aer Arann, Bangkok Airways, Brussels Airlines, Jet Airways, Kuwait Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Middle East Airlines, Philippine Airlines, Qantas, Royal Air Maroc, Saudi Arabia Airlines, Sri Lankan Airlines, Yemen Airways and UK-based airline, bmi.