Etihad Airways, the national
airline of the United Arab Emirates, and El Al Israel Airlines, the national
carrier of Israel have today launched their joint codeshare network and
reciprocal loyalty agreement for frequent flyers. The two carriers signed a Memorandum
of Understanding in 2020 following the Abraham Accords signed by the UAE and
Israel.
From 18 July 2021, El Al will add its LY code to Etihad’s
existing twice weekly service between Abu Dhabi to Tel Aviv and tickets are on
sale from today. Beyond Etihad’s Abu Dhabi hub, the new partnership will
extend further and is planned to include destinations in Australia, Bahrain,
India, Korea, Philippines and Seychelles from 1 August.
In the next phase of extending the codeshare agreement, subject
to obtaining applicable governmental and regulatory approvals, Etihad will
offer guests an additional 14 destinations across the Middle East, Europe, Asia
and US by adding its EY code to El Al flights.
The airlines will also establish a reciprocal loyalty agreement.
Members of the Etihad Guest and Matmid programmes will be able to earn and
redeem miles on flights across both carriers’ networks.
Tony Douglas, group CEO of Etihad Aviation Group, said: “This
partnership will provide additional choice and connectivity for both carriers’
guests, and a range of benefits for frequent travellers between and beyond our
respective hubs in Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv.”
Avigal Soreq, CEO of El Al Israel Airlines said: “This is the
first commercial partnership that El Al has established following the Abrahamic
Accords. This is an important milestone as this codeshare will bring
growing benefits to our passengers and to our respective airlines and
countries. The El Al and Etihad teams have a common goal in this partnership,
and we look forward to seeing it grow in the future."