Etihad Airways and Philippine Airlines have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which includes codesharing, frequent flyer reciprocity, airport lounge access and air pass agreements.
Etihad’s president and CEO James Hogan said the agreement was an “important milestone” in the long-standing relationship between the two carriers.
“The MoU symbolises our shared commitment to growing the passenger and cargo market between the UAE and Philippines and fostering closer diplomatic, trade and cultural ties," he said.
“Close collaboration in our home markets and in the global arena will enhance the competitiveness and appeal of our offering and deliver an unrivalled proposition in the UAE, in the Philippines and abroad.”
The airlines hope their closer partnership will make them first choice for the more than 700,000 Filipinos who live in the United Arab Emirates and who account for much of the traffic on the Abu Dhabi to Manila route each year.
Emirates currently operates a twice-daily B777-300ER service between the two cities.
The airlines also spoke about increasing the number of leisure travellers to the Philippines, in particular from the Middle East and Europe.
Ramon S Ang, PAL's president and COO, said: "This relationship will go a long way in providing our combined customer base a much more enhanced set of travel options.
"This also comes at an opportune time for PAL, which is in the thick of a fleet modernisation and expansion program that will see the flag carrier pushing further not only into the Middle East but also on other parts of the globe using a modern fleet of aircraft."
Etihad.com
PhilippineAirlines.com